Efficacy of Dietary Sodium Restriction of Improving Vascular Endothelial Function in Middle Aged and Older Adults

December 4, 2015 updated by: Douglas Seals, University of Colorado, Boulder
The investigators hypothesize that reducing salt in the diet will improve the function of blood vessels in middle aged and older adults with moderately elevated systolic blood pressure, by increasing the amount of BH4 and nitric oxide in your blood vessels and reducing the amount of oxidative stress.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The improvement in blood vessel function will be determined over a 10 week period. Subjects will be randomly assigned to either a 'low salt' condition (placebo pills + 1200 mg dietary sodium) or a 'normal salt' condition (2300 mg sodium chloride pills + 1200 mg dietary sodium) and monitored for 5 weeks. After the initial set of 5 weeks, the subjects are switched into the opposite condition, completing the cross-over study design. During weeks 1-4 and 6-9, subjects are monitored weekly with 24 hour urine collections and diet logs. The assessment of the primary outcome (blood vessel function) is completed during weeks 5 and 10. BH4 and ascorbic acid are also administered during weeks 5 and 10 to measure the effects of sodium intake on endogenous BH4 levels and vascular oxidative stress.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
17

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Colorado
      • Boulder, Colorado, United States, 80309
        • Clinical Translational Research Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

50 years to 79 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 50-79 years of age
  • SBP 130-159 mmHg

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Have been sick with an infection in the past two weeks
  • Are currently sick or have ongoing health problems such as kidney or CVD
  • Have lost more than 11 lbs. in the last 3 months
  • Are taking any type of antioxidants
  • Smoke or have alcohol problems
  • Have blood glucose levels higher than 126 mg/dL
  • Have resting SBP below or less than 100 mmHg or greater than 159 mmHg
  • Have a resting diastolic blood pressure greater than 99 mmHg
  • Have a BMI greater than 40 kg/m^2
  • Are presently consuming less than 9 or greater than 18 grams of salt / day
  • Have a baseline FMD of greater than 6%
  • Are taking any of the following types of drugs: blood thinners, anti-seizure medications, ant-inflammatory drugs
  • Participate in any high endurance athletic training
  • Taking Hormone Replacement Therapy
  • Have not been post-menopausal for at least 1 year

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Other: Normal sodium
Subjects on a 1200 mg sodium diet are given 2300 mg sodium in the form of slow sodium tablets to bring them back up to a normal salt intake. Subjects then cross-over to the low sodium condition in the second half of the study.
Drug: Slow sodium tablets
The normal salt condition is maintained with 2300 mg / day in the form of slowly released salt (NaCl) tablets.
Other: Low sodium
Subjects on a 1200 mg salt diet are given placebo pills in order to maintain them on a low salt diet. Subjects then cross-over to the normal sodium condition in the second half of the study.
Other: placebo
Placebo tablets are administered to maintain the low sodium condition.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Improved Flow Mediated Dilation
Time Frame: Week 5 (after first condition of low salt or normal salt), Week 10 (after second condition, opposite to first)
FMD is analyzed at weeks 5 and 10 or after each condition in this cross-over study design. Subjects are randomly assigned to a low salt or normal salt condition for the first set of 5 weeks and then crossed over to the other condition for the second set of 5 weeks.
Week 5 (after first condition of low salt or normal salt), Week 10 (after second condition, opposite to first)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Vascular Oxidative Stress
Time Frame: Immediately following acute infusion of ascorbic acid on Weeks 5 and 10
Change in FMD following acute infusion of ascorbic acid (a dose known to scavenge superoxide) is measured at the end of 5 weeks of sodium condition (low and normal intake) as an index of vascular oxidative.
Immediately following acute infusion of ascorbic acid on Weeks 5 and 10
BH4 Bioavailability
Time Frame: Immediately following acute administration of BH4 on Weeks 5 and 10
Change in FMD following acute oral tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) is measured at the end of 5 weeks of sodium condition (low and normal intake) as an index of BH4 bioavailability.
Immediately following acute administration of BH4 on Weeks 5 and 10

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Colorado, Boulder

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Kristen L Jablonski, PhD, University of Colorado, Boulder

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
February 1, 2009

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 1, 2012

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 23, 2012

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 28, 2012

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 29, 2012

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
January 7, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 4, 2015

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
December 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • B5114
  • F31AG033994 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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