Mental Stress & Diesel Exhaust on Cardiovascular Health (DESTRESS)

University of Washington

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Catecholamines; Inflammation; Blood Pressure

Treatments: Other: Diesel exhaust; Behavioral: Trier social stress test

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT03467997

STUDY00002051

R00ES023498 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Enrollment: 22 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 22 to 49 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

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.

Exclusion criteria

1. Smoking: We rule out active smoking by checking urine cotinine during our study.
2. History of high blood pressure: We objectively measure BP during in-person screening and exclude those with blood pressure (>130/85 mmHg).
3. Asthmatic: Spirometry is done at screening to rule out asthma.
4. Diabetic: We obtain fasting blood sugar to rule out diabetes at screening (>125 mg/dL)
5. Cholesterol: We obtain fasting blood lipid levels to rule out hypercholesterolemia at screening (>200 mg/dL).
6. History of PTSD: Subjects will be asked about prior PTSD diagnosis during the phone and in person screen.
7. Any other chronic condition requiring ongoing care based on medication use.
8. A body mass index (weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) greater than 26 and less than 18.5
9. A female of childbearing age with a positive pregnancy test
10. A female of childbearing age who is unwilling to use effective contraception during the study

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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22 participants in 4 patient groups

Filtered Air

No Intervention group

Description:

Subjects sit in a room for two hours breathing in filtered air which resembles levels of air pollution found in the ambient environment

Diesel Exhaust

Active Comparator group

Description:

Subjects sit in a room for two hours breathing in diesel exhaust at 200 micrograms of meter cubed.

Treatment:

Other: Diesel exhaust

TSST/Stress only

Active Comparator group

Description:

Subjects undergo a mental stress test, known as the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), which involves a public speaking and math task.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Trier social stress test

Diesel Exhaust and stress

Active Comparator group

Description:

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.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Trier social stress test

Other: Diesel exhaust