NEUROHUMORAL MECHANISMS IN GERIATRIC HYPERTENSION: ROLE OF ALDOSTERONE

本子项目是利用由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源的众多研究子项目之一。子项目和研究者（PI）可能已经从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金，因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。列出的机构是中心的，不一定是研究者的机构。这项研究的目的是确定肾上腺中产生的一种激素醛固酮水平的升高是否在人们变老时血压升高中起作用。这项研究旨在测试醛固酮和其他已知对老年人高血压有重要影响的因素之间的相互作用。这些因素是血管僵硬、交感神经系统的活动（神经系统的一部分，产生化学物质去甲肾上腺素，控制心率和血压）、胰岛素和血管产生的放松因子（一氧化氮）。这些系统将在研究开始时进行测试，并在六个月后使用两种用于治疗高血压的药物中的一种进行测试。将招募60至80岁的男女。研究开始时，收缩压必须低于180（最高值），舒张压必须低于110（最低点）。本研究的受试者将被随机分配（类似于掷硬币）服用螺内酯（这种药物阻断醛固酮的作用）或氢氯噻嗪（一种利尿剂或水丸）。这项研究很重要，因为它将提供关于醛固酮可能导致老年人血压升高的作用的新信息，以及使用醛固酮阻断药物治疗高血压的潜在益处。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The purpose of this study is to determine if increased levels of a hormone produced in the adrenal gland, aldosterone, plays a part in the increase in blood pressure that is common as people get older. The study is designed to test for interactions between aldosterone and other factors known to be important in high blood pressure in older people. These factors are stiffness of blood vessels, the activity of the sympathetic nervous system (the part of the nervous system that produces the chemical norepinephrine that controls heart rate and blood pressure), insulin, and a relaxing factor produced by blood vessels (nitric oxide). These systems will be tested at the beginning of the study, and again six months later following treatment with one of two medications that are used to treat hypertension. Men and women aged 60 to 80 years will be recruited. To begin the study, systolic blood pressure must be less than 180 (top number) and diastolic blood pressure must be less than 110 (bottom number). Subjects in this study will be randomly assigned (similar to using a coin flip) to take either spironolactone (this medication blocks the effects of aldosterone) or hydrochlorothizide (a diuretic or water pill). This study is important because it will provide new information about the actions of aldosterone that may lead to increased blood pressure in older people, and the potential benefits of treating high blood pressure using an aldosterone blocking medication.