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ACES - ACE Inhibitors Combined With Exercise for Seniors With Hypertension

ACES - ACE Inhibitors Combined With Exercise for Seniors With Hypertension

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03295734
Acronym
ACES
Enrollment
223
Registered
2017-09-28
Start date
2018-05-29
Completion date
2024-09-19
Last updated
2025-07-22

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Hypertension, Aging, Sedentary Lifestyle

Brief summary

The purpose of this project is to conduct a randomized, controlled trial (RCT) to determine if choice of antihypertensive medication influences changes in functional status and other cardiovascular risk factors among older persons with hypertension when combined with physical exercise.

Detailed description

The purpose of this project is to conduct a randomized, controlled trial (RCT) to determine if choice of antihypertensive medication influences changes in functional status and other cardiovascular risk factors among older persons with hypertension. Functional status, determined by measures of physical performance, is an important predictor of cardiovascular outcomes in older adults. Seniors with compromised function experience more CV events, have a higher risk of undergoing cardiac surgery and higher risk of CVD-related death than higher-functioning peers. Seniors with hypertension experience accelerated declines in function, and presently physical exercise is the primary strategy for preventing this decline. However, functional responses to exercise are highly variable and appear to be influenced by the type of antihypertensive medication(s) utilized to control blood pressure. Preliminary evidence suggests that, compared to other first-line antihypertensive agents, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors enhance exercise-derived improvements in functional status among hypertensive seniors. This RCT will test this hypothesis. Sedentary men and women \> 60 years of age with functional limitations and hypertension will be recruited from two sites to participate in a longitudinal intervention study. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three first-line antihypertensive agents: (1) the ACE inhibitor perindopril, (2) AT1 receptor antagonist losartan, or (3) the thiazide diuretic hydrochlorothiazide. Note: Participants with a documented history of hypersensitivity to ACE inhibitors will be randomized 1:1 to one of the two other study drugs. All participants will also participate in a structured aerobic exercise intervention. The primary aim is to determine if, compared to losartan and HCTZ, perindopril improves self-paced gait speed. The secondary aim is to determine the relative effect of perindopril on a) exercise capacity, b) body mass and composition, and c) circulating indices of cardiovascular risk. This study is expected to differentiate beneficial effects of three FDA-approved antihypertensive medications on an emerging cardiovascular risk factor in a clinically-relevant population. Thus the study has important implications for expeditiously influencing clinical practice guidelines in the prescription of antihypertensive drugs to millions of Americans.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALAerobic exercise

Twice weekly centered based aerobic exercise + 3/week home-based walking

DRUGPerindopril

4 mg qd titrated to 8 mg qd perindopril

DRUGLosartan

50 mg qd titrated to 100 qd losartan

DRUGHCTZ

12.5 mg qd titrated to 25 qd HCTZ

Sponsors

University of Colorado, Denver
CollaboratorOTHER
AdventHealth Translational Research Institute
CollaboratorOTHER
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
60 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Age 60 years and older * Hypertension - untreated (SBP ≥ 140 mm Hg or DBP ≥ 90 mm Hg) or treated * \> 290 seconds needed to complete long-distance corridor walk test * Sedentary lifestyle, defined as \<150 min/wk of moderate physical activity * Willingness to participate in all study procedures, including allowing study team to communicate with primary care physician regarding changes in antihypertensive treatment

Exclusion criteria

* BP \> 140/90, despite the use of three or more anti-hypertensive drugs * SBP \> 180 mm Hg or DBP \> 110 mm Hg * Chronic kidney disease * Serum creatinine \>2.5 mg/dL in men or \>2.0 mg/dL in women * Serum potassium outside normal reference range * Urinary protein \> 1 on dipstick * Abnormal liver enzymes (AST, ALT, or alkaline phosphatase \> 2.5 times the upper limit of normal) * Severe cardiac disease, including NYHA Class III or IV congestive heart failure, clinically significant aortic stenosis, history of cardiac arrest, use of a cardiac defibrillator, or uncontrolled angina * Acute myocardial infarction identified by ECG * Significant cognitive impairment, defined as a known diagnosis of dementia or a Mini-Mental State Examination exam score \< 24; * Simultaneous participation in another intervention trial * Known hypersensitivity to ACE inhibitors (exclusion only to perindopril arm; will be randomized among other two interventions) * Any other condition that would preclude participating based upon judgement of PI or study clinician team

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in Gait Speed From Baseline32 weeksSelf-paced gait speed over 4m distance; change from baseline to week 32

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Pre-assignment details

\*\*NOTE: Participants could be excluded for more than one reason\*\* Excluded (n=274) • Not meeting inclusion criteria# (n=274) * No physical function limitation (n=107) * Active lifestyle (n=55) * Resistant hypertension (n=35) * Severe cardiac disease (n= 34) * Significant cognitive impairment (n=15) * No hypertension (n=13) * Uncontrolled hypertension (n=10) * Proteinuria\> 1+ (n=8) * Other medical concern that precluded safe participation (n=65)

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Perindopril
4 mg qd titrated to 8 mg qd perindopril + aerobic exercise Aerobic exercise: Twice weekly centered based aerobic exercise + 3/week home-based walking Perindopril: 4 mg qd titrated to 8 mg qd perindopril
74
Losartan
50 mg qd titrated to 100 mg qd losartan + aerobic exercise Aerobic exercise: Twice weekly centered based aerobic exercise + 3/week home-based walking Losartan: 50 mg qd titrated to 100 qd losartan
74
HCTZ
12.5 mg qd titrated to 25 mg qd HCTZ + aerobic exercise Aerobic exercise: Twice weekly centered based aerobic exercise + 3/week home-based walking HCTZ: 12.5 mg qd titrated to 25 qd HCTZ
75
Total223

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicPerindoprilLosartanHCTZTotal
Age, Continuous67.6 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.9
67.9 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.8
67.0 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.9
67.5 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.2
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants2 Participants2 Participants4 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants1 Participants1 Participants2 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
27 Participants31 Participants23 Participants81 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
2 Participants2 Participants1 Participants5 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
45 Participants38 Participants48 Participants131 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
57 Participants55 Participants56 Participants168 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
17 Participants19 Participants19 Participants55 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
EG002
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 740 / 740 / 75
other
Total, other adverse events
32 / 7431 / 7440 / 75
serious
Total, serious adverse events
2 / 741 / 745 / 75

Outcome results

Primary

Change in Gait Speed From Baseline

Self-paced gait speed over 4m distance; change from baseline to week 32

Time frame: 32 weeks

Population: Intent to Treat

ArmMeasureValue (MEAN)
PerindoprilChange in Gait Speed From Baseline0.10 m/sec
LosartanChange in Gait Speed From Baseline0.05 m/sec
HCTZChange in Gait Speed From Baseline0.10 m/sec

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 19, 2026