Tests blood pressure treatment goals in older Veterans with high blood pressure

Trial details

Who runs it

VA Office of Research and Development

Trial code

NCT06495710

Record updated

13 April 2026

Original description

Hypertension is a common and treatable disorder that remains the leading preventable cause of heart disease. Blood pressure treatment relies mainly on upper arm blood pressure readings and ignores blood vessel physiology and underlying individual genetic information. Older Veterans with hypertension are less likely to be treated to goal blood pressure because there are conflicting recommendations for what constitutes "optimal" in older adults. The investigators have developed a novel way to non-invasively assess the components of blood vessel stiffness that is related to blood pressure (load-dependent stiffness). This project will generate new knowledge about how different blood pressure treatment goals (intensive vs standard) impact different components of arterial stiffness and if these differences can be explained through genetic analysis. Results from this project will offer the VA an updated blueprint for personalizing blood pressure care in older adults, ultimately improving cardiovascular health.Read full original descriptionShow less

Load-Dependent Arterial Stiffness to Optimize Blood Pressure Management in Older Veterans (LOADED BP)

Hypertension is a common and treatable disorder that remains the leading preventable cause of heart disease. Blood pressure treatment relies mainly on upper arm blood pressure readings and ignores blood vessel physiology and underlying individual genetic information. Older Veterans with hypertension are less likely to be treated to goal blood pressure because there are conflicting recommendations for what constitutes "optimal" in older adults. The investigators have developed a novel way to non-invasively assess the components of blood vessel stiffness that is related to blood pressure (load-dependent stiffness). This project will generate new knowledge about how different blood pressure treatment goals (intensive vs standard) impact different components of arterial stiffness and if these differences can be explained through genetic analysis. Results from this project will offer the VA an updated blueprint for personalizing blood pressure care in older adults, ultimately improving cardiovascular health.

Inclusion: Male and female participants from VA VISN 7, 9, and 12 will be eligible to participate if they are over age 60 years and have a diagnosis of hypertension or take antihypertensive medications (up to 4); Veterans will require documented SBP readings on 2 or more office visits that are 140 mmHg or average home blood pressure readings 135 mmHg to be eligible for the trial; Participants must be willing to be randomized to intensive or standard blood pressure treatment and have blood pressure medications adjusted per the study protocol; They must be willing to undergo tonometric evaluation of arterial stiffness, and carotid artery ultrasound.

Exclusion: Participants who have an indication for a specific BP lowering medication that is not included in the study protocol or a known secondary cause of hypertension will be excluded; The investigators will also exclude those with factors that may limit adherence to the study interventions or follow-up including active substance abuse, plans to move outside the study catchment areas within 12 months or a history of poor medication adherence or clinic no-shows; Patients will be excluded if they have:; a standing SBP <110 mmHg; past history of a recent CVD event in the past 12 months (i.e., coronary artery disease event/intervention, congestive heart failure exacerbation or heart failure hospitalization, atrial fibrillation, or peripheral arterial disease intervention); a class I indication for betablocker use including atrial arrhythmias; left-ventricular systolic function <50%, >moderate aortic stenosis; history of stroke; chronic kidney disease (eGFR<30 mL/min/m2) or proteinuria in excess of 1 gram/day or polycystic kidney disease; active cancer (other than untreated, non-metastatic prostate cancer and non-melanoma skin cancer); hypoxemic pulmonary disease; active rheumatologic or connective tissue diseases (i.e., systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.); human immunodeficiency virus; illness with any infectious etiology or fever >38°C (i.e., upper respiratory illness, gastrointestinal illness, etc.); hospitalization for any reason within the prior 4 weeks; Participants will be excluded if arm circumference is too large/small to allow accurate blood pressure recordings.

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06495710