Learn More About Participating in Research

Format: Newsletter
Institute: Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center (CC)

Are you interested in participating in clinical research? Do you wonder what’s involved? You can learn more about NIH research and how you can play a role by reading the quarterly newsletter from the NIH Clinical Center''s Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison Office.

The newsletter, “Participating in Clinical Research,” contains information about intramural studies for which the office is recruiting participants, information about NIH, and interviews with investigators about their research. The current issue features details of the following clinical studies that are now accepting volunteers:

• Twins and other siblings—Families are eligible for this study if one sibling has developed a systemic rheumatic disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, dermatomyositis, or myositis. Siblings need not be twins, but they must be of the same sex and be within a 3-year age difference. Healthy volunteers are also needed as “controls.”
• Tongues—More information on the structure and function of the human tongue is needed to develop better treatments for people with certain diseases affecting speech and swallowing. This study will use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound to examine changes in tongue volume and blood circulation during exercises that require the use of different tongue muscle movements and contractions.
  
  
• Chocolate—A 6-week research study will evaluate the effect of dark chocolate on blood pressure and the blood's glucose and insulin levels. Participants will help researchers learn more about chocolate’s impact on hypertension and diabetes. Participants will be asked to take dark chocolate and a placebo (inactive treatment). To participate, volunteers must be between ages 21 and 65 with hypertension (high blood pressure) who can be safely taken off anti-hypertensive medications. Compensation and dark chocolate will be provided.

Next Steps
You can read the newsletter online at www.cc.nih.gov/participate/healthyvolunteers.shtml.

Learn more about the NIH Clinical Center by visiting the home page at www.cc.nih.gov/.

For a complete listing of government clinical trials, including those for specific disease and conditions, please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.