Menopause Transition, Sex Hormone Deficiency and Autonomic and Vascular Function (NCT06490146)
🩺 Plain-English Summary (8th-Grade Level)
This is a longitudinal study to determine the influence of the menopause transition on autonomic and vascular function. PI Keller-Ross has published data demonstrating that postmenopausal females have greater sympathetic neural reactivity during a stressor compared with age-matched males and younger females and males. A paucity of literature exists, however, on the role of the menopause transition in autonomic function because the majority of experimental studies on menopause physiology are cross-sectional and/or focused on older, postmenopausal females . The influence of age on HTN is robust, whereas the effects of menopause are still unclear. Preliminary data demonstrate a clear association between age and sympathetic activity in females; how the transition through menopause influences these relations, however, remains unknown. The study will enroll 80 midlife (45-55 years of age) females to measure longitudinally the trajectory of autonomic and vascular function during the transition through menopause. The study hypothesizes that through the menopause transition, an increase in sympathetic activity and an impaired baroreflex sensitivity and endothelial function will emerge.
Who can join: To join this study, participants generally need to meet the listed inclusion criteria (7 items) and avoid the listed exclusions (11 items).
Location: University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, Minnesota
📋 "Do I Qualify?" — 1-Minute Self Screener
Instant ChecklistCheck every box below. If you can check all of them, you may meet the study's basic screening requirements (final eligibility is confirmed by the site team).
Usually NOT eligible if any of the following apply:
- Exclusion Criteria:
- Diabetes
- pregnant or breastfeeding
- cardiac or pulmonary disorders
- severe obesity (body mass index \[BMI\] ≥ 40 kg/m 2 )
- hypertension
- obstructive sleep apnea
- current use of heart or blood pressure medications, current use of hormonal contraceptives or other forms of exogenous sex hormones
- report of nicotine/tobacco use in the last six months, report of current alcohol abuse,
- history of treatment with chemotherapy/radiation
- coagulopathy disorders and/or use of anticoagulant medications, and current use of anxiolytics and/or antidepressants.
🔍 Extracted verbatim from the official NIH eligibility criteria. Always confirm with the study coordinator.
📍 All Participating Trial Locations (1 Sites)
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, Minnesota
💰 Cost, Insurance & Patient Rights
- 100% Free Items: The investigational treatment and protocol-required procedures are supplied at zero cost by the sponsor.
- Routine Patient Care: Under federal law (ACA § 2709) and many state statutes, routine care costs are covered during participation.
- Voluntary Participation: You may withdraw at any time without affecting your standard medical care.