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Overnight Trials With Heat Stress in Autonomic Failure Patients With Supine Hypertension

Overnight Trials to Compare the Effects of Controlled Heat Stress Versus Sham Control on Nocturnal Supine Hypertension in Autonomic Failure Patients

Who can join

Ages 18 to 80 · All sexes

Inclusion Criteria:

* Male and female patients, between 18-80 yrs., with primary autonomic failure (Parkinson Disease, Multiple System Atrophy, and Pure Autonomic Failure) and supine hypertension. Supine hypertension will be defined as SBP≥150 mmHg.
* Patients able and willing to provide informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Pregnancy
* Significant cardiac, renal or hepatic illness, or with contraindications to administration of pressor agents or with other factors, which in the investigator's opinion would prevent the subject from completing the protocol including clinically significant abnormalities in clinical, mental or laboratory testing.

About the study

Patients with autonomic failure are characterized by disabling orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure on standing), and at least half of them also have high blood pressure while lying down (supine hypertension). Exposure to heat, such as in hot environments, often worsens their orthostatic hypotension. The causes of this are not fully understood. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether applying local heat over the abdomen of patients with autonomic failure and supine hypertension during the night would decrease their nocturnal high blood pressure while lying down. This will help us better understand the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, and may be of use in the treatment of supine hypertension.

What is being tested

• Heating pad (other)
• Sham control (other)

Sponsor: Vanderbilt University Medical Center · Participants: 20 · Started: Jan 30, 2017

Contact the study team

• Bonnie K Black, RN · Phone: 615-343-6862

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT03042988

Locations in the U.S.

Conditions

• High Blood Pressure
• Pure Autonomic Failure
• Multiple System Atrophy
• Heat Illness
• Orthostatic Hypotension

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.