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HypercholesterolemiaPhase 2NCT00001752

Vascular and Metabolic Effects of Hormone Therapy Combined With L-Arginine in Postmenopausal Women

A Phase 2 study testing L-arginine and Estrogen in people with Hypercholesterolemia and Postmenopause, run by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Estrogen therapy has been associated with reduced risk of coronary heart disease events in observational studies of postmenopausal women. Although favorable effects of estrogen on lipoprotein cholesterol levels probably account for much of this benefit, direct vascular effects (vasomotor, hemostatic… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Any age, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Hypercholesterolemia, Postmenopause
What is being tested?
L-arginine and Estrogen
How many people
30 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Sep 1998to Jul 2000
Phase
Phase 2
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages Any age
  • Women only
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

All volunteer subjects will be assessed for study participation, including a cardiovascular physical examination and resting electrocardiogram. Fasting blood will be taken for SMAC, CBC, thyroid battery, lipid levels, estradiol and FSH levels under screening protocol 94-H-0045. A urine pregnancy test will be performed in women with a uterus and cessation of menses less than 6 months. Aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and steroidal drugs (oral, ointment, drops or inhalation) will be stopped 10 days prior to starting the study and discontinued throughout the study.

Thirty hypercholesterolemic (LDL greater than 130 mg/dL) postmenopausal women who have not taken estrogenic hormone, antioxidant vitamins (A, C, E), or lipid-lowering therapy in the preceding 2 months will be selected to take part in this double-blind, cross-over study.

No subjects with plasma estradiol level greater than 50 pg/ml and FSH less than 50 pg/ml.

No subjects with blood pressure greater than 160/100 mm/Hg (off medication).

No subjects smoking cigarettes within 6 months.

No pregnant subjects.

No subjects with a history of deep venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolus.

No subjects with important chronic medical conditions (cancer, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, COPD, renal disease) other than hypothyroidism if the subject is euthyroid on thyroid replacement.

No subjects who refuse to follow nitrate-restricted diet for 3 days prior to each study.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

    Bethesda, Maryland, 20892

Other trials in United States

About this study

Estrogen therapy has been associated with reduced risk of coronary heart disease events in observational studies of postmenopausal women. Although favorable effects of estrogen on lipoprotein cholesterol levels probably account for much of this benefit, direct vascular effects (vasomotor, hemostatic, anti-inflammatory) regulated by nitric oxide (NO) may also be of importance. We have recently shown that vasodilator effects of estrogen in the coronary circulation are due to enhanced bioactivity of NO released from the endothelium. Estrogen has been shown to stimulate synthesis and activity of the enzyme NO synthase with enhanced NO synthesis in endothelial cells in culture. Because L-arginine is the natural substrate for the enzyme NO synthase, we propose that the combination of L-arginine and estrogen might have additive vasomotor, hemostatic and anti-inflammatory effects in hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women.

Read the detailed description

Estrogen therapy has been associated with reduced risk of coronary heart disease events in observational studies of postmenopausal women. Although favorable effects of estrogen on lipoprotein cholesterol levels probably account for much of this benefit, direct vascular effects (vasomotor, hemostatic, anti-inflammatory) regulated by nitric oxide (NO) may also be of importance. We have recently shown that vasodilator effects of estrogen in the coronary circulation are due to enhanced bioactivity of NO released from the endothelium. Estrogen has been shown to stimulate synthesis and activity of the enzyme NO synthase with enhanced NO synthesis in endothelial cells in culture. Because L-arginine is the natural substrate for the enzyme NO synthase, we propose that the combination of L-arginine and estrogen might have additive vasomotor, hemostatic and anti-inflammatory effects in hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women.

Being tested
L-arginine, Estrogen
Keywords
Adhesion Molecules, Endothelial Function, Inflammation, Lipoproteins, Nitric Oxide, Hormone Therapy, Postmenopausal Women
Medical subject headings
Hypercholesterolemia, Inflammation

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • L-arginineDrug

  • EstrogenDrug

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted10 Dec 2002 (estimated)
  2. Study startSep 1998
  3. Study completionJul 2000

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Enrolment
30 participants
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00001752
Sponsor's protocol ID
980158
Other IDs
98-H-0158
Status last verified
Aug 1999
First submitted
3 Nov 1999
Last updated
4 Mar 2008
Results posted
No

Publications

  • Guetta V, Quyyumi AA, Prasad A, Panza JA, Waclawiw M, Cannon RO 3rd. The role of nitric oxide in coronary vascular effects of estrogen in postmenopausal women. Circulation. 1997 Nov 4;96(9):2795-801. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.96.9.2795.

    PubMed 9386140
  • Hayashi T, Fukuto JM, Ignarro LJ, Chaudhuri G. Basal release of nitric oxide from aortic rings is greater in female rabbits than in male rabbits: implications for atherosclerosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Dec 1;89(23):11259-63. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.23.11259.

    PubMed 1454805

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A Phase 2 study testing L-arginine and Estrogen in people with Hypercholesterolemia and Postmenopause, run by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Mar 2008. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

What does this phase mean?

Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.

Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00001752, which also lists 2 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 4 Mar 2008.

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