Stress Management for High Blood Pressure

August 12, 2019 updated by: David M. Fresco, Kent State University
The purpose of this research study is to examine the efficacy of two stress management interventions in reducing blood pressure (BP) in patients who have prehypertension (BP between 120/80 and 139/89). It is expected that participants will be better able to control their BP through reducing stress and increasing healthy lifestyle behaviors.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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.

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.
141

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
    • Ohio
      • Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44106
        • W.O. Walker Building
    • Pennsylvania
      • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104
        • University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

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

21 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Unmedicated high blood pressure (SBP of 120-139 or DBP of 80-89)
  • BMI in the range of 19-40
  • Interest in attempting to control blood pressure through lifestyle modification

Exclusion Criteria:

  • pacemakers
  • uncontrolled hypertension (SBP≥140 or DBP≥90)
  • atrial fibrillation
  • myocardial infarction (MI)
  • percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)
  • coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) within 6 months of enrollment
  • congestive heart failure
  • uncorrected primary valvular disease hypertrophic or restrictive cardiomyopathy
  • uncorrected thyroid heart disease
  • chronic kidney disease
  • persistent tachyarrhythmia
  • JNC risk category C (target organ damage, diabetes)
  • patients who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant within 9 months
  • patients who are lactating
  • patients unable to comply with assessment procedures
  • patients with alcohol or drug abuse within 12 months
  • patients who consume more than 21 alcoholic drinks per week
  • patients who are current smokers
  • patients who are unable to provide informed consent or who have dementia
  • patients with previous extensive meditation or yoga training
  • patients with blood pressure ≥140/90

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: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
  • Masking: Double

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.
Experimental: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction intervention includes eight 2.5-hour weekly group sessions and an all-day retreat.
Behavioral: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
Patients are randomized to an intervention
Other Names:
  • MBSR
Other: American Heart Association Recommended Self-Care
All Patients receive AHA Recommended Self-Care
Active Comparator: Stress Management Education
The Stress Management Education intervention includes eight 2.5-hour weekly group sessions and an all-day retreat.
Other: American Heart Association Recommended Self-Care
All Patients receive AHA Recommended Self-Care
Behavioral: Stress Management Education
Patients are randomized to an intervention
Other Names:
  • SME
Other: AHA Recommended Self-Care
All participants will receive the American Heart Association - Understanding and Controlling Your High Blood Pressure Brochure and information on the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension from the National Institutes of Health. These brochures describe ways that individuals can improve their lifestyle through better diet and exercise. Participants will get a chance to try and make healthy lifestyle changes on their own, using this information.
Other: American Heart Association Recommended Self-Care
All Patients receive AHA Recommended Self-Care

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
Change in Systolic Clinic Blood Pressure
Time Frame: Week 0, Week 4, Week 8, Week 34, and Week 60
All clinic blood pressure assessments will be completed in a quiet, climate controlled room according to American Heart Association guidelines. The mean of the three seated readings on the non- dominant arm will be averaged to define clinic blood pressure.
Week 0, Week 4, Week 8, Week 34, and Week 60
Change in Diastolic Clinic Blood Pressure
Time Frame: Week 0, Week 4, Week 8, Week 34, and Week 60
All clinic blood pressure assessments will be completed in a quiet, climate controlled room according to American Heart Association guidelines. The mean of the three seated readings on the non- dominant arm will be averaged to define clinic blood pressure.
Week 0, Week 4, Week 8, Week 34, and Week 60

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
Change in 24-hour Ambulatory Systolic Blood Pressure
Time Frame: Week 0, Week 8, Week 60
Participants will complete 24-hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring with the Oscar 2 oscillometric blood pressure monitor. The Oscar will be programmed to take three blood pressure measurements per hour from 6 AM till 11 PM and two BP measurements per hour from 11 PM to 6 AM. During each reading, participants will be instructed to drop their arms to their sides as soon as they sense the cuff inflating, and to keep it relaxed and still until a few seconds after the deflation has finished. Ambulatory SBP and DBP will be derived by computing the mean of all valid readings obtained during waking hours and nighttime sleep.
Week 0, Week 8, Week 60
Change in 24-hour Ambulatory Diastolic Blood Pressure
Time Frame: Week 0, Week 8, Week 60
Participants will complete 24-hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring with the Oscar 2 oscillometric blood pressure monitor. The Oscar will be programmed to take three blood pressure measurements per hour from 6 AM till 11 PM and two BP measurements per hour from 11 PM to 6 AM. During each reading, participants will be instructed to drop their arms to their sides as soon as they sense the cuff inflating, and to keep it relaxed and still until a few seconds after the deflation has finished. Ambulatory SBP and DBP will be derived by computing the mean of all valid readings obtained during waking hours and nighttime sleep.
Week 0, Week 8, Week 60

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.
Kent State University

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.
University of Pennsylvania
Case Western Reserve University

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: David M Fresco, Ph.D., Kent State University

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.

General Publications

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 (Actual)

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.
May 1, 2015

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.
May 31, 2019

Study Completion (Anticipated)

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.
May 31, 2020

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).
January 21, 2015

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.
February 19, 2015

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.
February 25, 2015

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

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.
August 13, 2019

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.
August 12, 2019

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.
August 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

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.
  • KentSU

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