High Salt Intake for High Blood Pressure
(KEAS-O Trial)
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?
Most Americans consume excess dietary salt based on the recommendations set by the American Heart Association and Dietary Guidelines for Americans. High dietary salt impairs blood pressure control by affecting systemic blood vessels and the kidneys. These changes contribute to excess salt consumption being associated with increased risk for chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in America. Salt is particularly deleterious in older adults who are more likely to exhibit salt-sensitive hypertension. However, salt consumption remains high in the United States. Thus, there is a critical need for strategies to counteract the effects of high dietary salt as consumption is likely not going to decrease. One promising option is ketones, metabolites that are produced in the liver during prolonged exercise and very low-calorie diets. While exercise and low-calorie diets are beneficial, not many people engage in these activities. Limited evidence indicates that ketone supplements improve cardiovascular health in humans. Additionally, published rodent data indicates that ketone supplements prevent high salt-induced increases in blood pressure, blood vessel dysfunction, and kidney injury. Our human pilot data also indicates that high dietary salt reduces intrinsic ketone production, but it is unclear whether ketone supplementation confers humans' protection against high salt similar to rodents. Therefore, the investigators seek to conduct a short-term high-dietary salt study to determine whether ketone supplementation prevents high dietary salt from eliciting increased blood pressure, blood vessel dysfunction, and kidney injury/impaired blood flow. The investigators will also measure inflammatory markers in blood samples and isolate immune cells that control inflammation. Lastly, the investigators will also measure blood ketone concentration and other circulating metabolites that may be altered by high salt, which could facilitate novel therapeutic targets to combat high salt.
Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for older adults who may be experiencing high blood pressure and are at risk of developing complications like kidney disease or cardiovascular issues due to high salt intake. Participants should not have any conditions that would exclude them from the study.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Trial Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Pre-intervention
Participants undergo baseline assessments including sleep, physical activity, and dietary intake
Intervention
Participants consume the supplemental intervention for 10 days with assessments on day 10
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment
Treatment Details
Interventions
- KEAS (Dietary Supplement)