Heat & Aerobic Training (HEAT) Study

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Pre-hypertension

In brief

This study is intended for inactive, middle-aged adults with untreated pre-hypertension who live in the Urbana-Champaign area, who are interested in a comprehensive program designed to enhance physical activity \& reduce blood pressure. All participants will be asked to engage in a program developed in accordance with American Heart Association's recommendations. Specifically, the program will encourage and support lifestyle behavior changes such as quitting smoking, eating heart-healthy food, and reducing excessive alcohol, in addition to weekly exercise. The exercise program will involve a 14-week aerobic training program (3 weekly sessions, scheduled at study participants' convenience), and 2 pre- and 2-post-testing sessions.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT02546726
Run by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
People needed: 41
Starts: 2015-08-21
Expected to finish: 2017-05-24
Last updated by the study team: 2019-04-17

Who can join

Age: 45 and older, up to 64. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

Age 45 to 64
Confirmed pre-hypertensive (120-139 mmHG Systolic / 80-89 Diastolic mmHG) blood pressure by our laboratory staff
Low active (< 2 days per week for 30+ minutes over the past 3 months)
Able and willing to try to adhere to American Heart Association guidelines for managing multiple lifestyle factors contributing to high blood pressure including increasing physical activity (at least 50 minutes, 3 times/week as part of our supervised training sessions), stopping smoking altogether, eating healthier (limiting sodium, eating fruit, veggies, low-fat dairy and lean protein, and reducing saturated fat and total fat), drinking less alcohol (1-2 drinks a day max) and achieving and maintaining a healthy bodyweight (striving or a body mass index between 18 and 25).
Able to commit to the full length of our program without missing more than 2 consecutive weeks
Capable of performing moderately intensive aerobic exercise
Willing to be randomized to one of two groups
Able to commute to and from fitness facility and UIUC campus
Own smartphone and have reliable at-home internet access
Have correctable vision (i.e., at least 20/40 with glasses or contacts with no color blindness)
Not involved in regular weekly relaxation methods (e.g., yoga, meditation) or heat therapy (e.g., steam-room, sauna, hot baths)
Not heat sensitive (e.g., have not experienced heat-induced severe rashes, pain, numbness, or tingling; experienced heat-related cramps, illness, or heatstroke; or had surgery requiring general anesthesia that has caused subsequent difficulty regulating body temperature)
Do not have any type of neuropathy (e.g., peripheral, diabetic)
Not depressed as indicated by a telephone screening (Abbreviated 5-item Geriatric Depression Scale; GDS-5 score < 2)
No cognitive impairment as indicated by a telephone screening (Telephone Interview Cognitive Survey; TICS score > 21)

You may not qualify if…

Too young (< 45) or too old (> 64)
Normotensive (< 120 mmHG Systolic / < 80 Diastolic mmHG) or hypertensive (> 140 mmHG Systolic / > 90 Diastolic mmHG) blood pressure
Too active (as defined by regularly exercise 2 or more days per week for 30+ minutes over the past 3 months)
Unable or unwilling to comply with American Heart Association guidelines for managing multiple lifestyle factors contributing to high blood pressure including increasing physical activity (at least 50 minutes, 3 times/week as part of our supervised training sessions), stopping smoking altogether, eating healthier (limiting sodium, eating fruit, veggies, low-fat dairy and lean protein, and reducing saturated fat and total fat), drinking less alcohol (1-2 drinks a day max) and achieving and maintaining a healthy bodyweight (striving or a body mass index between 18 and 25).
Unable to commit to full length of program
Incapable of performing moderately intensive aerobic exercise
Unwilling to be randomized to one of two groups
Unable to commute to and from fitness facility and UIUC campus
Does not own smartphone or have reliable at-home internet access
Does not have correctable vision (i.e., at least 20/40 with glasses or contacts with no color blindness)
Already involved in regular weekly relaxation methods (e.g., yoga, meditation) or heat therapy (e.g., steam-room, sauna, hot baths)
Has heat sensitivity (e.g., heat-induced severe rashes, pain, numbness, or tingling; experienced heat-related cramps, illness, or heatstroke; or had surgery requiring general anesthesia that has caused subsequent difficulty regulating body temperature)
Has any type of neuropathy (e.g., peripheral, diabetic)
Has depression (as defined by GDS-5 score of 2 or higher)
Has cognitive impairment (as defined by < 21 on TICS)

Where it is running

Louise Freer Hall, Exercise Technology & Cognition Laboratory, Rm 253 — Urbana, Illinois, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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