Hypertension affects more than a billion people worldwide and is managed with several classes of blood pressure medications. Most people achieve good control with one or two drugs, but resistant hypertension — high blood pressure despite three or more medications — affects about 10% of patients and drives much of the current research focus.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing renal denervation procedures that use heat or ultrasound to calm overactive kidney nerves, dual angiotensin receptor blockers that may work better than single-target drugs, aldosterone synthase inhibitors for resistant hypertension, and RNA-based therapies given every few months instead of daily pills. Researchers are also studying the role of the brain in blood pressure regulation.
Renal denervation
Catheter-based procedures that ablate kidney nerves have shown sustained blood pressure drops in recent trials. The FDA approved one device in 2023, and several competing systems are now in trials.
Long-acting RNA therapies
Injections given every three to six months that silence genes controlling blood pressure production are showing promise. These could replace daily pills for some patients.
Aldosterone synthase inhibitors
New drugs that block aldosterone production more precisely than older medications are in late-stage trials. They may help resistant hypertension without the side effects of spironolactone.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on current blood pressure readings, number of medications tried, presence of target organ damage, and other cardiovascular risk factors.
What types of trials are currently open
- Treatment trials — Testing new blood pressure medications, often comparing them to standard drugs or testing combinations that might work better together.
- Device trials — Studies of renal denervation systems and other devices that lower blood pressure without medication.
- Resistant hypertension trials — Testing therapies specifically for people whose blood pressure stays high despite multiple medications.
- Prevention trials — Studies testing whether certain interventions can prevent hypertension in people with elevated blood pressure or high risk.
- Lifestyle intervention trials — Testing structured diet, exercise, or stress reduction programs to see how much they can lower blood pressure.
Recently added Hypertension trials
Donate blood samples to advance preeclampsia research
Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific hypertensive disorder and remains a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although abnormal placentation, impaired trophoblast invasion, endothelial dysfunction, and immune dysregulation have been implicated in its pathogenesis, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Progesterone plays a critical role in the maintenance of pregnancy through both classical nuclear receptors and membrane-associated progesterone receptors. Emerging evidence suggests that progesterone membrane receptors, including progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1), progesterone receptor membrane component 2 (PGRMC2), and members of the progestin and adipoQ receptor (PAQR) family, may regulate trophoblast invasion, placental development, and inflammatory responses. This study aims to compare the placental expression levels of PGRMC1, PGRMC2, and PAQR family receptors between women with preeclampsia and healthy pregnant controls and to investigate their potential role in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia.
Share how work frustration affects your blood pressure
Background: Mental health is a national priority in France, especially in the workplace. The impact of poor quality of life at work on mental health has been demonstrated. Raising awareness of the importance of prevention within companies and the influence of working conditions seems essential. In the context of limited occupational health physicians, inherent access difficulties, and reduced resources, physical health is often addressed as the first line of intervention. In the Burgundy region, the prevention of cardiovascular diseases is a regional public health concern. A significant association has been found between effort/reward imbalance and masked hypertension. Identifying a link between working conditions, blood pressure profile, and thus increased cardiovascular risk would be relevant. Objectives: The main goal of this observational study is to compare the frequency of blood pressure profiles at higher risk of cardiovascular events (white coat hypertension and daytime and/or nighttime masked hypertension) according to work-related quality of life and perceived stress levels among primary care patients without a history of hypertension or cardiovascular disease, in two departments of the Burgundy region. Methods: This project is a proof-of-concept study before intervention on work-related quality of life and blood pressure profiles at higher cardiovascular risk in primary prevention. It is a prospective, interventional, and multicenter study, conducted from May 2023, across three multidisciplinary primary care centers, involving fifteen general practitioners from Côte d'Or and Saône-et-Loire. Patients aged 40 to 65, consulting one of the participating general practitioners, actively working, with no cardiovascular history or antihypertensive treatment, will be included. Work-related quality of life and perceived stress will be assessed using the QualTra-Scale and the PSS-10 scale, respectively. All included patients will undergo 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) during a workday. A qualitative component will complement the results through patients' individual interviews exploring ABPM perception and reasons for refusal, and focus groups involving general practitioners and occupational health professionals to explore perceptions and potential intervention strategies. Perspectives: The main perspective of this study is to focus on workplace health by providing additional data on the physical repercussions of poor work-related quality of life and high perceived stress. Objectifying a confirmed medical situation could serve as a lever for identifying mental health issues. It would enable interventions to improve work-related quality of life by addressing health determinants and psychosocial risks. Various interventions could be considered through a multidisciplinary approach in the workplace, involving occupational physicians, occupational psychologists, and employers. This study could also offer insights into patient profiles at higher cardiovascular risk, help develop recommendations for screening masked hypertension, and evaluate the role of blood pressure measurements at the workplace.
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