Local Vasoconstriction in Postural Tachycardia Syndrome

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2015-06-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The investigators study will determine how often blood flow regulation abnormalities and abnormalities of sympathetic regulation produced by nitric oxide, angiotensin-II, and oxidative stress occur in POTS and the mechanism(s) of POTS in individual patients. Specific causes for POTS may vary from patient to patient. Patients will be compared to healthy control subjects. There is a treatment arm with a medication (losartan) that reduces the binding of angiotensin and increases NO. If the investigators know the specific biochemical mechanism the investigators may be able to offer further specific treatments to specific patients.

• Phase: Early Phase 1
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: New York Medical College
• Treatments: Ascorbic Acid; Losartan; Vitamins

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Cases will be between the ages of 14 and 29 years old referred for evaluation of orthostatic intolerance with 3 or more of the following symptoms for at least 3 months:

• dizziness

• nausea and vomiting

• palpitations

• fatigue

• headache

• exercise intolerance

• blurred vision

• abnormal sweating heat.

• Cases will have the diagnosis of symptomatic postural tachycardia made during a screening tilt table test.

• Cases will have normal physical examination, and normal electrocardiographic and echocardiographic evaluations.

• Only those free from heart disease, and from systemic illness will be eligible to participate.

• This excludes patients with illnesses and disease states known to be associated with endothelial cell dysfunction such as diabetes, renal disease, congestive heart failure, systemic hypertension, acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, neoplasm, immune mediated disease, trauma, morbid obesity and peripheral vascular disease.

• At the time of testing all patients and control subjects must refrain from vasoactive drugs for two weeks. Please check with us about any medication that you are taking.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Criteria for initial exclusion will include a condition known to be associated with endothelial dysfunction

• An active medical condition that may explain the diagnosis

• A previous medical condition with undocumented resolution that may explain the diagnosis

• Past or present major psychiatric disorder

• Substance abuse within 2 years before onset of symptoms.