We hope to understand why some (but not all) people with high blood pressure develop hypertrophy (increase in muscle size) of the heart and remodelling which results in poor heart function and heart failure.
Who can take part?
- Men and women (25-80 years) with normal blood pressure
- Men and women (25-80 years) with high blood pressure
Taking part involves:
- One visit to the Bristol Royal Infirmary and two visits to the Clinical Research and Imaging Centre (CRIC), Bristol.
- A cardiac MRI to look at heart size, volumes and function.
- A small electrode inserted into a nerve in the lower leg to measure activity of the nerves that control blood pressure.
- Putting your hand in ice water (4°C) for 3 minutes.
- An exercise tolerance test.
- Wearing a blood pressure monitor for 24 hours at home.
- Giving three 20 ml venous blood samples (two blood samples will be taken via a cannula, a small tube in the arm).