Recruiting

Alcohol Abstinence

Sponsor:

The University of Texas at Arlington

Code:

NCT07783061

Conditions

Alcohol Drinking

Drinking Behavior

At-risk Drinking

Cardiovascular Risk Factor

High Blood Pressure

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 26 - 49

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Alcohol Abstinence

Control arm

Study Details

Brief summary:

The purpose of this study is to learn whether avoiding alcohol can improve heart and blood vessel health in adults who regularly drink alcohol and have high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart attack and stroke.

In this randomized, controlled trial, men and women aged 26 to 49 years who regularly consume alcohol and have high blood pressure will be assigned by chance to either stop drinking alcohol or continue their usual drinking habits for 8 weeks. Researchers will compare changes in blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease risk factors between the two groups.

The information gained from this study may help researchers and health care providers better understand the effects of alcohol consumption on cardiovascular health and whether alcohol abstinence can reduce heart disease risk, especially in adults with high blood pressure.

Conditions

Alcohol Drinking

Drinking Behavior

At-risk Drinking

Cardiovascular Risk Factor

High Blood Pressure

Study ID

NCT07783061

Start date

Oct, 2026

Status verified date

Oct, 2026

Completion date

Sep, 2031

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Aug, 2031

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 26 - 49

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion criteria

  • Men and women aged 26 to 49 years
  • At-risk drinkers who drink over the recommended limits, defined as those with PEth (≥20 ng/dL) or those with a U.S. Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (USAUDIT) score ≥8/7 for men/women
  • Elevated blood pressure or hypertension (systolic blood pressure: 120-160 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure 80-100 mmHg)

Exclusion criteria

  • History of CVD or cardiovascular events (e.g., stroke, myocardial infarction)
  • The presence of myocardial ischemia or arrhythmias with abnormal ECG and blood pressure during a clinically-supervised maximal graded exercise test
  • Hypertension (systolic >160 mmHg and diastolic >100 mmHg)
  • On more than one anti-hypertensive medication, or on other physician-prescribed medications (but not including oral contraceptives)
  • Major psychiatric disorders, including autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder, major depression, schizophrenia, and substance use disorders
  • Alcohol use disorder, PEth ≥400 ng/mL, or USAUDIT score ≥ 25
  • Current or history of any tobacco use in the past 6 months (including, but not limited to, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, hookah, Nicorette, snus and chewing tobacco)
  • Current or history of illicit and recreational drug use (more than 3 times in the past month and more than 15 times in their lifetime)
  • Diabetes type 1 \& type 2 with fasting blood glucose ≥126 mg/dL
  • Presence of renal disease with a creatinine > 1.5 mg/dL
  • Presence of liver disease with liver enzymes > 3x the upper limits of normal
  • Anemia with a hemoglobin < 8 g/dL
  • Diagnosis of chronic inflammatory disease such as, but not limited to, cancer
  • Diagnosis of chronic autoimmune diseases such as, but not limited to lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis
  • Diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary fibrosis, pneumonia, lung cancer, and cystic fibrosis
  • Diagnosis of neurological diseases, including seizure disorders, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and peripheral neuropathies
  • Body mass index <18.5 or ≥40 kg/m2
  • Unstable body weight (>5% change during the past 6 months)
  • Obstructive sleep apnea
  • Night-shift work
  • Women who are pregnant (or intend to become pregnant while participating in study), breastfeeding, or postmenopausal

Study Design

Enrollment

148 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Prevention

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

other: Usual Drinking Habits (Control)

Participants will continue their usual alcohol consumption patterns during the study period and will be instructed not to change their lifestyle including alcohol use, diet, and habitual physical activity.

experimental: Alcohol Abstinence Intervention

Participants will be instructed to abstain from alcohol for 8 weeks. Throughout the study period, participants will be asked to maintain their usual diet and level of physical activity and avoid making other lifestyle changes, except for abstaining from alcohol.

Interventions

Alcohol Abstinence

Participants will be instructed to abstain from alcohol for 8 weeks and maintain their usual lifestyle, including diet and physical activity. One week before the intervention, participants will be provided with an Oura Ring and instructed to wear it throughout the study. Every two weeks, participants will meet virtually with the research team (approximately 45 minutes) to receive educational materials and personalized feedback based on phosphatidylethanol (PEth), sleep, and heart rate variability data to support alcohol abstinence. During these meetings, participants will also complete assessments of alcohol use, physical activity, and dietary intake. At week 4, participants will complete a dried blood spot PEth test. Participants will also receive weekly reminders by text message or email to ensure Oura Ring data are uploaded successfully.

Control arm

Participants will be asked to maintain their usual lifestyle, including alcohol consumption, diet, and physical activity, and will not have access to their study data during the intervention. One week before the intervention, participants will be provided with an Oura Ring and instructed to wear it throughout the study. Every two weeks, participants will meet virtually with the research team (approximately 45 minutes) to complete questionnaires on alcohol use, physical activity, and diet. At week 4, participants will complete a dried blood spot phosphatidylethanol (PEth) test. Participants will also receive weekly reminders by text message or email to ensure Oura Ring data are uploaded successfully.

Primary outcome measure

  • Change in in-laboratory central and peripheral blood pressure [ Time Frame: Baseline and after the 8-week intervention ]
  • Change in nighttime central and peripheral blood pressure [ Time Frame: Baseline and after the 8-week intervention ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Chueh-Lung Hwang, PhD, PT

8172729722chuehlung.hwang@uta.edu

Locations

Science and Engineering Innovation and Research Building (SEIR), University of Texas at Arlington

Recruiting

Arlington, Texas, United States, 76010

More Information

Sponsor

The University of Texas at Arlington

Last update posted

Oct 6, 2026

Last verified

Oct, 2026

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-10-07. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by The University of Texas at Arlington on 2026-10-06. Recruitment status is synced daily from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the sponsor's current status. Confirm during your call.