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Discover 19,983 clinical trials near Maryland. Find research studies in your area.
Showing 12041-12060 of 19,983 trials
NCT00082043
This study will explore the effects of dutasteride on mood and the stress response across the menstrual cycle. Dutasteride blocks production of neurosteroids-hormones that help regulate the stress response systems. These systems may be disturbed in women with menstrually related mood disorders (MRMD). The effects of the drug will be compared in women with and without MRMD to determine how neurosteroids regulate mood and the stress response across the menstrual cycle. Dutasteride is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (excess growth of the prostate gland) in men. Menstruating women 30 to 45 years of age with and without MRMD may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical and psychiatric history, physical examination, screening for symptoms of depression, and routine blood and urine tests. Participants are required to use barrier contraception (condoms or diaphragm) during the 3-month study and 6-month follow-up. Participants undergo the following tests and procedures: * Dutasteride or placebo treatment: Participants receive 1 month of dutasteride and 2 months of placebo. Neither the participants nor the investigators know when the subject is taking the active medication or the placebo. * Biweekly follow-up visits: Every 2 weeks during the 3-month treatment period, patients come to the NIH Clinical Center to have blood drawn and to complete mood symptoms ratings. * Monthly follow-up visits: Participants return to the Clinical Center once a month for 6 months after the end of the treatment period to monitor hormone levels and pregnancy status.
NCT00544102
This study will test the effects of insulin resistance on atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) in women who have systemic lupus erythematosus, more commonly known as lupus. Women with lupus have a higher chance of developing atherosclerosis than the general population, and as a result are more susceptible to heart attack and stroke. Insulin resistance is a particular risk factor for atherosclerosis, and recent small studies have shown that insulin resistance is more common in lupus patients than in those without lupus. The study will consist of a series of tests designed to assess whether there is an association between insulin resistance and atherosclerosis in women with lupus. This research may lead to further studies on possible treatments to reduce the risk of heart disease in lupus patients. Volunteers must be women between 30 and 55 years of age who were diagnosed with lupus within five or more years prior to the study. Volunteers who have kidney failure, diabetes, or existing atherosclerosis will be excluded from the study, as will volunteers who have had pulse steroid therapy within four weeks of the testing or who have been pregnant within one year of the testing. Participants will undergo the following procedures on an outpatient basis: * Blood and urine tests for research purposes. * Electrocardiogram (EKG) to test the general health of the heart. * Oral glucose tolerance test to measure blood glucose and insulin levels. This test is commonly used to diagnose diabetes and pre-diabetic insulin resistance. * Cardiac multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) to determine the amount of calcium present in coronary arteries. This test is used to diagnose atherosclerosis. * Carotid artery ultrasound to show the speed of blood flow through the carotid arteries. This test will show abnormalities and/or blockages in the carotid arteries. * Abdominal ultrasound to determine if the participant has hepatic steatosis ( fatty liver ), which is often found in individuals with insulin resistance and diabetes. * Carotid artery magnetic resonance imaging/angiogram (MRI/MRA) to measure the thickness of blood vessels. This test is used to diagnose atherosclerosis. * Abdominal MRI to estimate abdominal fat. Volunteers may be asked to participate in an MRI/MRA study to evaluate the arteries of the heart. This test is optional and not required by the insulin resistance/atherosclerosis study. The entire series of procedures will require one to three visits to complete.