Not yet taking people in United StatesPhase 4

Assessing Trauma-related Links Between Affective and Metabolic Systems

Key facts

Who runs it: VA Office of Research and Development
Where: Seattle, United StatesSee the site
Trial code: NCT07862712
Status: Not yet recruiting
Phase: Phase 4
People taking part: 70 people, planned
Starts: 1 Mar 2027
Expected to end: 31 Dec 2032
Type of study: Interventional
Treatments tested: prazosin
Record updated: 15 October 2026

Who can take part

Age: 21 years to 75 years
Sex: Women and men
Healthy volunteers: Cannot take part

The registry criteria, word for word

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Who can take part

Veteran of the US military
Diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) defined by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) symptom count on Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5)

Who cannot take part

Any form of diabetes as defined by the American Diabetes Association. Exceptions may be made for participants with previously undiagnosed, early, asymptomatic Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) who meet American Diabetes Association criteria for diabetes during study screening who wish to be included
Current use or use within the past 2 weeks of a medication with significant 1-AR or 2-AR activity (prazosin, doxazosin, alfuzosin, clonidine, guanfacine), or opiates
Ongoing or initiation of new treatment with evidence-based trauma-focused therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within 2 weeks of baseline. Supportive psychotherapy may be continued during the study
Diagnosis of DSM-5-defined bipolar I, schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorders (by MINI)
Diagnosis of dementia or related progressive neurocognitive disorder, based on clinical records
Diagnosis of moderate or severe substance use disorder (except for caffeine and nicotine) during the preceding 3 months
History of moderate or severe Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) as defined by the Ohio State University TBI Identification Method
Current enrollment in another interventional trial for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Current use or use within the past 3 months of antipsychotics, glucocorticoid medications, or glucose-lowering medications, including but not limited to metformin and GLP-1 agonists
Contraindication to prazosin
Increased risk of suicide that necessitates inpatient treatment, intensive outpatient care, or treatment excluded by the protocol
Pregnancy or lactation, or anticipated pregnancy at any point during study participation

Check if you might fit

Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.

Are you between 21 and 75 years old?

Where in United States

VA Puget Sound Health Care System Seattle Division, Seattle, WASeattle, United StatesContact: Katharine J Liang, MD PhDNot yet recruiting

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

KEY INFORMATION: The purpose of this study is to understand how insulin resistance (how your body processes sugar) and PTSD might be related. The goal is to improve the health of Veterans in three ways:

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1. Understanding health risks: The investigators want to learn why Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more likely to develop medical problems related to insulin resistance, such as diabetes. 2. Testing effects of a medication: The investigators are testing whether prazosin, a medication that studies have shown may address some PTSD symptoms, can also improve how the body responds to insulin. If it does, this could point to a specific biological pathway that could be targeted for development of new treatments to prevent insulin resistance and diabetes in Veterans with PTSD. 3. Links to depression. The investigators will also look at whether insulin sensitivity affects depression symptoms in people with PTSD. This may inform future research into treatments for PTSD.