What the trial was testing
The trial enrolled 2,052 patients with hypertension. The study was sponsored by Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
Researchers followed patients through treatment and into recovery, tracking the outcomes that mattered most for the disease being studied.
What the results showed
6 mm Hg drop in systolic blood pressure in high-risk APOL1 carriers.
JAMA Network Open · 2022 · NCT02234063
These findings — that in systolic blood pressure for Black hypertensive patients with high-risk APOL1 genes — were published in the JAMA Network Open and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 2,052 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with hypertension, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
APOL1 genetic testing is increasingly available through commercial labs and academic centers, and some kidney transplant programs already use it. Ask your kidney specialist or primary care doctor about testing if you have African ancestry, hypertension, or family history of kidney failure.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open hypertension trials
Steroids-Based Screening for Primary Aldosteronism
This prospective, single-center observational study aims to evaluate whether a steroid-based screening method can more accurately identify Primary Aldosteronism (PA) in hypertensive patients who remain on their usual antihypertensive medications, compared with the conventional aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR). PA is a common, potentially curable subtype of secondary hypertension that carries increased cardiovascular risk when undiagnosed or untreated. However, current screening protocols recommend "medication washout" or switching to minimally interfering drugs, which may pose safety concerns and add complexity. In this study, approximately 406 participants (ages 18-75) with diagnosed hypertension and on at least one interfering antihypertensive drug (such as ACE inhibitors, ARBs, beta-blockers, diuretics, or calcium channel blockers) will be enrolled at the Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. Each participant will undergo two rounds of blood sampling-first while continuing their usual antihypertensive regimen (the "on-medication" state) and second following a standardized washout/switch period (the "standard state"), if medically feasible. At both stages, levels of plasma aldosterone, renin, and a broad panel of adrenal steroid hormones will be measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. By comparing diagnostic performance (e.g., sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve) of the steroid-based screening versus the ARR, the study seeks to determine whether steroid profiling improves accuracy under real-world treatment conditions. Findings may help refine PA screening strategies, reduce the need for extensive medication adjustments, and contribute to better clinical management of hypertension.
Sotatercept in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
The goal of this clinical trial is to determine whether sotatercept is effective in improving diffusing capacity in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Participants will be asked to: * Take Sotatercept every 21 days (±3 days) * Each participant will be enrolled in the study for 29 Weeks * Visit the clinic 18 times * Have a physical exam * Perform assessments of lung function and exercise tests * Have an ultrasound of their heart * Have blood draws done at regular intervals The main objectives of the study are: Primary objective: To assess whether sotatercept will improve recruitment of diffusing membrane capacity (DM) with exercise. Secondary objective: To identify components of the diffusing capacity that respond to treatment with sotatercept in pulmonary arterial hypertension.