The purpose of the study is to determine the effects of amiloride on the blood pressure response to walking in PAD patients and healthy controls.

In each visit, you will be asked to walk on a treadmill. You will also be asked to take capsules prior to visit 2 and 3. The capsules for one visit will be a drug called amiloride (10mg, in 2 capsules with 5mg of amiloride in each capsule), which was traditionally used to lower blood pressure. The other capsules will be a placebo (no active medication). A blood sample will be drawn at each visit.

You will receive $25 per hour for your participation in this research study

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The loss of estrogen from menopause puts women at a greater risk of developing heart disease. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of drinking beetroot juice on measures of blood vessel health and blood pressure. Participants will drink beetroot juice and placebo juice each for one week followed by blood pressure measurements and ultrasound imaging of an artery in the upper arm. A sub-aim of this study is to investigate the effects of estrogen status on blood vessel function between pre- and post-menopausal women.

There are a total of 6 in-person visits to the Clinical Research Center. You will be asked to drink beetroot juice (2 oz) every day for 7 days. Participants will undergo vascular assessments, blood pressure measurements, and blood draws (11 in total for 6 visits).

$120

People with narrowed blood vessels in their legs can only walk a short distance before needing to sit down due to pain in their calf muscles. Most of these patients do not follow their heart doctor's advice to walk at home because it hurts. A therapy that does not involve painful walking would be ideal for these patients to begin to treat their disease so they can eventually walk with less discomfort. We will ask patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) to place both feet into inflatable ankle splints 30 minutes a day for 4 weeks to passively stretch their calf muscles. Before and after this 4-week program, we will measure the health and size of their leg blood vessels, the length, and function of their calf muscles and tendons, and how long they can walk without pain. We will also closely track their joint and foot movements and calf muscle oxygen levels while they walk down a hallway. People with and without risk factors for heart disease are also eligible for this study to compare differences in vascular and muscular health to patients with PAD. Volunteers without a PAD diagnosis or poor leg circulation will not undergo the 4-week stretch and no-stretch interventions.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) and poor leg circulation patients:-4 visits to University Park Clinical Research Center ~3 hours per visit-1 blood draw-Wear a calf muscle stretching device for 30-min a day, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks and 4 weeks of no stretching-Several muscle and vascular ultrasound measurements-Walking performance tests on and off the treadmill-Wear a smartwatch to monitor physical activity during each 4-week stretch or no stretch interventionParticipants with and without risk factors for heart disease:-2 visits to University Park Clinical Research Center within the same week lasting ~3 hours per visit-Not diagnosed with PAD or poor leg circulation-1 blood draw-Several muscle and vascular ultrasound measurements-Walking performance tests on and off the treadmill

PAD participants can receive up to $450 in compensation. Participants with and without heart disease risk factors (non-PAD participants) will receive $50 for their participation.

This study aims to examine the effect of pedaling a compact elliptical device at the desk on employees' work productivity. This study also aims to evaluate the effect of different types of incentives on promoting desk-based pedaling.

Restrictive (vs liberal) fluid treatment strategy during the first 24 hours of resuscitation for sepsis-induced hypotension will reduce 90-day in-hospital mortality.

This pilot study aims explore the health literacy and medication adherence found among African Americans and Latinos with hypertension receiving care at Hamilton Health Center in Harrisburg PA. We also aim to determine the feasibility of the iPad or smartphone as a tool for accessing health related information among African American and Latino patients with hypertension receiving care at clinics at Hamilton Health Center in Harrisburg PA. The expected outcomes of this project are to obtain a better understand of the literacy levels and adherence behaviors of African Americans and Latinos in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The findings from this study will provide valuable insights into the health management behaviors of this community and determine if there is a need to develop a mobile health application for the management of hypertension.

The earth’s climate is warming, and the number of heat waves has increased in recent years. At the same time, the number of adults over the age of 65 is growing. Humans sweat and increase blood flow to the skin to cool their body when they get hot. Older adults do not do this as well as young adults. This makes it harder to safely exercise in warm and/or humid conditions. It is important to learn about safe limits of heat and humidity for older adults to exercise. Also, nearly 40% of adults over age 50 take aspirin to lower their risk for heart disease. Our lab has shown that aspirin lowers the control of body heat.In this study, we will determine critical temperature and humidity environments above which normal body temperature cannot be maintained in young and older adults. We will also look at how aspirin may change critical temperature and humidity thresholds in older adults.

There will be 4 in person visits and sit, walk, or cycle at a low intensity in an environmental chamber.

360

To determine if the sympathetic and blood pressure (BP) responses to exercise will be attenuated during and after heat exposure in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD).

There will be up to 6 visits at the Hershey Medical Center.The visits involve walking on a treadmill, sitting in a warm or neutral temperature bath, wearing a heat suit, and having one or both of your legs in a warm bath.

You will receive $25 per hour for your participation in this research study

This study continues our exploration into the mechanisms underlying the control of blood flow. During the experiments, we noninvasively measure skin blood flow (SkBF) and forearm blood flow (FBF) with a FLPI and venous occlusion plethysmography (VOP), respectively. The FLPI uses a low energy laser to measure SkBF. VOP uses blood pressure cuffs on the upper arm and wrist, and an elastic strain gauge encircling the forearm between the cuffs to measure the change in forearm-circumference over time from which we calculate FBF. For each experiment, we collect SkBF and FBF data for a 20-minute baseline, expose the skin of the forearms to negative pressure and then collect SkBF and FBF data for an additional 30-90 minutes. Each subject participates in 2 experiments that differ only in the protocol for the application of negative pressure (i.e. continuous, pulse).

We will investigate the effects of acute intravenous infusion of the hormone, angiotensin-(1-7), on cardiovascular function in healthy older adults in a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study.

Participation in this study will include three separate visits to the Clinical Research Center within the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Participants will first have a screening visit to determine if they are able to participate in this study. If eligible based on the screening visit, they will participate in two study visits separated by at least one week. At each study visit, they will be infused with doses of a placebo or angiotensin-(1-7) for about two hours. Before and at the end of the infusion, we will measure blood pressure and blood flow, nerve activity with an acupuncture-type needle in your leg, and collect blood samples from a small plastic tube (catheter) placed in the arm. Cells will also be collected from inside the vein using the catheter if the participant is willing.The study visits will include intravenous infusion of angiotensin-(1-7) or saline for approximately two hours, starting with increasing doses and holding at a steady-state dose. Endothelial function will be measured and blood samples and endothelial cells (if willing) will be collected at baseline and at the end of infusions. Blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle sympathetic nerve activity via microneurography will be measured throughout the study.

$25 per hour; additional $25 per study visit for cell collection

The study will examine a condition known as orthostatic hypertension, which is a sudden increase in blood pressure when a person stands up. Orthostatic hypertension is a recognized risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. This project will also examine the differences in blood pressure responses to standing between African Americans and other races, since African Americans are more likely to develop high blood pressure than other races.

If you are eligible, you will be asked to complete the following activities in a single visit:• Lie down for 10 minutes while the team completes anelectrocardiogram (EKG) and blood pressure measurements• Stand up for 10 minutes while the team continues the EKGand blood pressure measurements

$25

Women with endometriosis have more thromboxane being produced in their platelets. Thromboxane affects blood vessels, making them constrict, and sensory nerves, making them more sensitive. This study will determine if women with endometriosis are negatively effected by the excess thromboxane.

There will be three in-person visits: one screening and two experimental visits. Participants will take aspirin before one visit and a placebo before the other then will undergo brief tests of nerve sensitivity and a blood draw.

$150

We will investigate the effects of the hormone angiotensin-(1-7) on energy expenditure in patients with obesity.

This is an outpatient study that requires a screening visit, and if eligible, one study visit in the Clinical Research Center within the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. The screening visit will take about one hour and includes a brief physical examination and medical history, urine pregnancy test if female and of childbearing potential, measurement of heart rhythm, collection of blood samples, and measurements of body composition. If eligible based on the results of the screening visit, participants will be invited to participate in one study visit that will take about four hours. Participants will complete food recall and activity questionnaires prior to the study visit and asked not to change eating or physical activity patterns. A urine pregnancy test will be given for females of childbearing potential. Participants will lie down on a bed and a catheter (small plastic tube) will be placed in a vein in each arm to draw blood samples and to give study medications. Equipment will then be placed to measure heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, and the amount of oxygen in the blood. After placing this equipment, participants will be allowed to rest for at least 20 minutes. Resting energy expenditure will then be measured by asking participants to breathe through a canopy placed over their head that is connected to a metabolic cart for 45 minutes. Blood samples will be taken to measure hormones influencing resting energy expenditure. Participants will then receive either angiotensin-(1-7) or normal saline (salt water) through the catheter in the arm for up to two hours. Angiotensin-(1-7) is a substance that the body produces naturally; however, in this form, it is considered experimental, which means the Food and Drug Administration has not approved it for this use. Participants will receive either angiotensin-(1-7) or normal saline. The treatment will be randomly assigned meaning that it is determined purely by chance, and neither the participant nor study investigators will know which treatment is received. Blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, and oxygen in the blood will be measured continuously while giving angiotensin-(1-7) or normal saline. During the last 45 minutes of the treatment, resting energy expenditure will be measured again and additional blood samples taken. Participants will also have the option of allowing for a small piece of fat to be taken from under the skin in the abdominal region (fat tissue biopsy). Participants will then be allowed to recover for at least 20 minutes and then all equipment will be removed. After the study visit, a nurse will contact participants to check on general well-being and answer any questions.

$25 per hour; additional $75 for fat tissue biopsy

Average global temperatures and the number of heat waves have increased recently. Humans sweat and increase blood flow to the skin to cool their body when they get hot. Older adults (>65 yrs) do not do this as well as younger adults. This makes them at risk for heat-related illnesses. It is important to learn about cooling strategies that will lower body temperature for older adults in the heat. In this study, we will determine if placing your hands and forearms in cold water and/or supplementation with folic acid are effective cooling strategies for older adults resting in the heat.

There will be 4 in-person visits in a hot and humid environment, there will be folic acid supplementation and placebo for 6 weeks each

300

The purpose of this study is to assess if a healthy diet containing cottonseed oil improves markers of heart and metabolic health compared to healthy diets containing other commonly consumed plant oils. Participants will be asked to consume three different healthy diets containing plant oils for 28 days each, with a minimum 1-month break between the three diets. Measurements of blood markers (sugar, insulin, cholesterol), blood pressure, and heart health, will be done at the start of the study and the end of each diet period.

In this study, you will be asked to consume three different diets for 28 days each. The diets will be provided and include 3 meals, 2 snacks and beverages daily. These diets will meet your energy and nutrient needs. You will be asked not to eat any foods outside of what is provided by the study. You will have a minimum 1-month break between the three diets. Testing will be conducted on two consecutive days at the start of the study, and the end of each of the three diet periods (a total of 8 testing days). For these visits, you will need to fast for 12 hours prior and avoid alcohol for 48 hours prior. At these visits, we will take a blood draw, measure your body weight, and perform non-invasive tests to assess your vascular health.

500

The aim of this study is to determine the impact of cardiometabolic disease risk factors on cognitive performance and brain vascular function, as well as, to see if beetroot juice supplementation can improve these outcomes and reduce risk of cognitive decline and brain vascular dysfunction that is seen with aging and disease.

Participants with and without high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar will be recruited. These are all considered cardiovascular disease risk factors.Individuals without multiple cardiovascular disease risk factors will have 2 visits and complete cognitive and blood vessel function assessments. There involves a blood draw in each visit. All study assessments are non-invasive. Total compensation is $30. Individuals with cardiovascular disease risk factors will have 5 total visits and complete cognitive and blood vessel function assessments. Additionally, participants will drink beetroot juice for 4 weeks to determine the potential health benefits on cognitive, blood vessel function, and metabolic health. There will involve blood draws and all assessments are non-invasive. Total compensation is up to $170.

$30 -170

The purpose of this research study is to better understand how leg blood flow is regulated in healthy people and patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD). It is also being done to examine if a standard-of-care peripheral intervention procedure to improve blood flow to the leg in PAD patients will improve the oxygen delivery and blood flow response to exercise in their legs.

Healthy subjects will participate in 1 visit and perform handgrip and foot (plantar flexion) exercises while several non-invasive measurements are recorded.

You will receive $25 per hour for your participation in this research study

The purpose of the study is to test how social decisions are affected by possible risk of infection. We aim to examine how choices in a risky social decision-making situation can influenced by viewing images of infection threat (e.g., person with runny nose) vs. images of neutral scenes or other threatening scenes.

There will be one 90-minute in-person visit. Participants will be asked to have electrodes placed on their skin to record their physiological signals, answer questionnaires, and complete a decision-making task on the computer while looking at different images.

$30

The purpose of the study is to determine the effects of amiloride on the blood pressure response during exercise, and exercise tolerance in patients with PAD and healthy controls.

There will be 3 in-person visits. You will take a capsule of amiloride or placebo before visits 2 and 3 and blood pressure, heart rate and other physiological measurements will be recorded.

You will receive $25 per hour for your participation in this research study

Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a chronic syndrome in which the heart beats too quickly when standing. POTS primarily affects young women. People with POTS also experience symptoms such as feeling faint, fatigue, nausea, and mental clouding or "brain fog." “Brain fog” is one of the most bothersome symptoms of POTS and it is unknown why people with POTS experience this symptom. Some studies have shown that POTS patients have problems with attention, memory and executive function (ability to plan, organize information, and adapt to changes) while seated and when upright. In this study, we will evaluate how brain function during mental tasks is affected in people with POTS compared to healthy volunteers. All volunteers will complete mental tasks while lying down and standing. If eligible, we will measure brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).The findings from this study will increase our understanding of the mental complaints in people with POTS, to hopefully help with development of new treatments.

There will be three in person visits for this study. At the screening visit, participants will undergo a detailed medical history and physical examination and then will complete a mental test while lying down and standing. If eligible based on the results of the mental test, participants will undergo a pregnancy test if female and of childbearing potential, measurements of blood pressure and heart rate and blood draws while lying down and standing up, and a test to determine if they can tolerate being in a lower body negative pressure (LBNP) device that distributes more blood to the legs to mimic standing. If eligible based on the results of the screening visit, participants will be asked to complete an online questionnaire and two study visits that are separated by at least one week. At these study visits, they will perform a mental test in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. The LBNP device will also be used while in the MRI scanner to distribute more blood to the legs to mimic standing.

$25 per hour; additional $25 for completion of online questionnaire

The primary objective of this protocol, Mechanisms of Cardiovascular Disease (MCD) is to collect biological specimens and data from patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) to study the mechanisms that contribute to cardiovascular dysfunction and disease.

If you decide to participate in this study, you will be asked to provide a blood sample and possibly additional optional samples, either immediately or later. Additional samples may include saliva, cheek swab, urine, waste tissue or nasal swabs. You will decide whether you are willing to provide these other samples. Clinical data will be included in the dataset along with your sample.

Menthol, capsaicin, and camphor are active ingredients often found in over-the-counter pain relief creams and gels. These ingredients typically work by interacting with certain receptors in the skin that are sensitive to temperature changes. There is limited information on how combining menthol with other substances that target similar receptors affects the body. These naturally occurring substances found in plants can widen small blood vessels in the skin through specific processes controlled by nerves in the skin. This study aims to understand how menthol, camphor, and capsaicin individually and together affect sensory function and blood flow in the skin. Additionally, as people age, their skin's nerve and blood vessel function tends to decrease. The study also seeks to explore how aging impacts the effects of these substances on sensory perception and how nerves and blood vessels work together in the skin.

There will be a screening visit and then 6 experiment visits where different topical analgesics will be applied to the forearm skin. We will measure skin blood flow.

240

This study will examine the relationships among time-of-day, light exposure, and stress markers. Physiological measures of stress will be assessed both in the laboratory using a gold-standard emotion induction task.

This is a week-long study consisting of two in-person visits and five out-of-lab days. During the in-person visits, you will be connected to equipment that measures your physiological data and participate in a task with different sounds. During the out-of-lab days, you will wear a sensor that will collect your physiological data and answer questionnaires.

$135

Endometriosis, is a disorder that occurs in women, is when tissue that should be normally found inside the womb is also found in sites outside of the womb. Endometriosis is a disorder that is associated with systemic inflammation. This disorder impairs the function of the endothelium, the cells that line the body’s blood vessels (endothelium). The endothelium helps to control blood flow in healthy vessels. Women with endometriosis not only have an increased risk for high blood pressure and high cholesterol, they also have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. With this study, we will learn how systemic inflammation in endometriosis impairs the lining of blood vessels and increases the risk for cardiovascular disease.We will use a short term intervention with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory to examine how inflammation impact endothelial function in women with endometriosis

There will be 4 in person visits, at all visits blood will be drawn. Two of the visits will be experimental visits where we will measure skin blood flow and blood flow in the brachial artery. Participants will be required to take a placebo or the drug salsalate for 4 days prior to each experimental visit.

$450

The purpose of this research study is to determine if a healthy diet containing 2 eggs/day has similar effects on risk factors for heart disease as a healthy diet containing 3 eggs/week.

This study runs for about 3 months. During this time, you will be provided with two diets in random order to consume for 28 days. These diets will meet your energy and nutrient needs and include 3 meals, 2 snacks and some beverages. During this time, we will ask you not to eat any foods outside of those provided by the study. You will have a 1-month break between the two diets. Testing will be conducted on two separate days at the beginning and end of each diet period (a total of 8 testing days). For these visits, you will need to fast for 12 hours prior and avoid alcohol for 48 hours prior. At these visits, we will take a blood draw, measure your body weight, and perform non-invasive tests to assess your vascular health.

400

The purpose of this study is to see if the hormone angiotensin-(1-7) lowers blood pressure and sympathetic activity and improves the function of blood vessels and in obese subjects with hypertension.

This is an outpatient study that requires a screening visit, and if eligible, two study visits in the Clinical Research Center within the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. The screening visit will take about one hour and includes a brief physical examination and medical history, a urine pregnancy test if female and of childbearing potential, measurement of heart rhythm, collection of blood samples, and measurements of body composition. If eligible based on the results of the screening visit, participants will be invited to participate in two study visits that are about four hours and are separated by at least one week. Participants will complete food recall and activity questionnaires prior to each study visit. A urine pregnancy test will be given for females of childbearing potential. Participants will lie down on a bed and a catheter will be placed in a vein in each arm to draw blood samples and to give study medications. Equipment will then be placed to measure heart rate, blood pressure, and the amount of oxygen in the blood. A blood pressure cuff on the arm will be inflated for up to five minutes to measure blood flow in the arm using ultrasound and blood samples will be collected. Small electrodes will then be inserted into a nerve and just under the skin on one leg to measure nerve activity, which will remain in place until the end of the study. Participants will then receive either angiotensin-(1-7) or normal saline through the catheter in the arm for up to 120 minutes. Angiotensin-(1-7) is a substance that the body produces naturally; however, in this form, it is considered experimental, which means the Food and Drug Administration has not approved it for this use. Participants will receive angiotensin-(1-7) at one study visit and normal saline at the other study visit. The treatments will be randomly assigned so that the order in which they receive each treatment will be determined purely by chance, and neither the participant nor study investigators will know which treatment is received at each study visit. Blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen in the blood, and leg nerve activity will be measured continuously while giving angiotensin-(1-7) or normal saline. Near the end of treatment, blood flow in the arm will be measured again. At the end of the last dose, another blood sample will be taken. Participants will then be allowed to recover for at least 20 minutes and then all equipment will be removed. After the study visit, participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire if they had the nerve activity measurements, and a nurse will contact them to check on general well-being and answer any questions.

$25 per hour

To see how ziltivekimab taken once monthly versus placebo, both added to standard of care, in reducing the risk of cardiovascular death and heart failure events in participants with heart failure iwht mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction and systemic inflammation.

Return for on site visits 14 times, participate in 6 phone calls, complete questionnaires, blood samples taken at each on-site visit, electrocardiogram completed on 5 visits, injection of study medication.

approximatley $1,120

This study will examine how the brain controls blood pressure responses during exercise, and will include 2 separate visits. In one visit, you will perform a series of handgrip exercises followed by inflation of a blood pressure cuff while we collect muscle nerve activity and blood pressure. In the other two sessions you will perform a similar task while laying in an MRI machine.

The purpose of this study is determine if an increase in interstitial pressure has an effect on the venous distension reflex.

This study involves a single visit with 2 trials.You will receive an infusion of saline in your arm before and after a procedure to cause a temporary swelling in your arm.

You will receive $25 per hour for your participation in this research study

The purpose of this voluntary research study is to test if the drug amiloride can decrease blood pressure during exercise.

This project includes 3 visits to the research lab. Each visit last approximately 3.5-4 hours (~11-12 hours altogether). In each visit, you will be asked to perform foot exercise before and after a blood pressure cuff on your leg was inflated. You will also be asked to take pills prior to visit 2 and 3. One of these pills will be a drug called amiloride (10mg), which was traditionally used to lower blood pressure. The other pill will be a placebo (no active medication).

You will receive $25 per hour for your participation in this research study