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Mental Stress & Diesel Exhaust on Cardiovascular Health (DESTRESS Trial)

N/A
Waitlist Available
Led By Anjum Hajat, PhD
Research Sponsored by University of Washington
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Non-smokers without history of high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, high cholesterol, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or any other chronic condition that requires ongoing care.
Be between 18 and 65 years old
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up change in blood pressure from baseline (pre-exposure) to 60 minutes post exposure
Awards & highlights
No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This study uses an experimental design to conduct a double-blind, randomized, crossover study where participants receive both diesel exhaust and a mental stress test in a controlled setting. My hypothesis is that the synergistic effect of stress and air pollution will result in higher levels of stress and inflammation (measured via biological markers) as well as poorer cardiovascular disease related outcomes compared to the independent effect of each exposure separately.

Eligible Conditions
  • Inflammation and Pain
  • Catecholamines
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Inflammation

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~change in dopamine from baseline (pre-exposure) to immediately after exposure
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and change in dopamine from baseline (pre-exposure) to immediately after exposure for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary study objectives
Change in dopamine
Change in epinephrine
Change in norepinephrine
Secondary study objectives
Change in d-dimer
Change in fibrinogen
Change in interleukin-1b (IL-1b)
+2 more
Other study objectives
Change in blood pressure
Change in heart rate

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group
All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

4Treatment groups
Active Control
Group I: Diesel Exhaust and stressActive Control2 Interventions
Subjects sit in a room for two hours breathing in diesel exhaust at 200 micrograms of meter cubed and are subject to a mental stress test (TSST) which involves a public speaking and math task.
Group II: TSST/Stress onlyActive Control1 Intervention
Subjects undergo a mental stress test, known as the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), which involves a public speaking and math task.
Group III: Diesel ExhaustActive Control1 Intervention
Subjects sit in a room for two hours breathing in diesel exhaust at 200 micrograms of meter cubed.
Group IV: Filtered AirActive Control1 Intervention
Subjects sit in a room for two hours breathing in filtered air which resembles levels of air pollution found in the ambient environment

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

University of WashingtonLead Sponsor
1,826 Previous Clinical Trials
1,906,027 Total Patients Enrolled
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)NIH
290 Previous Clinical Trials
1,232,880 Total Patients Enrolled
Anjum Hajat, PhDPrincipal InvestigatorUniversity of Washington
~3 spots leftby Dec 2025