Passive Heat Therapy and Age-associated Physiological Function

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Aging

In brief

This study aims to determine the effects of 8-10 weeks of repeated hot water immersion ("heat therapy") vs. thermoneutral water immersion on vascular function in late middle-aged to older (55-79 years) adults.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT03264508

Run by

Douglas Seals

People needed

25

Starts

2017-10-25

Expected to finish

2021-06-01

Last updated by the study team

2021-10-28

Who can join

Age: 55 and older, up to 79. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Ability to provide informed consent.
• Aged 55-79 years. Women must be postmenopausal and not taking hormone replacement therapy within the past year.
• Sedentary to recreationally active: participating in vigorous aerobic exercise <4x/wk for ≥ 3 yrs.
• Able to refrain from the use of dietary supplements, anti-inflammatory medications, and prescription medications for 24-48h prior to experimental testing.
• Generally healthy (no overt clinical disease), as determined by medical history, physical examination, blood and urine chemistries.
• Ankle-brachial blood pressure index >0.7
• Total cholesterol <240 mg/dl (<6.2 mmol/L)
• Fasting plasma glucose <126 mg/dl (<7.0 mmol/L)
• Systolic blood pressure < 160 mmHg and >100 mmHg
• Glomerular filtration rate > 60 ml/min/1.73 m2
• Mini mental state exam score > 20 points
• Body mass index (BMI) <30 kg/m2
• Weight stable in the prior 3 months (≤ 2 kg weight change) and willing to remain weight stable over the course of the study
• Free from alcohol dependence or abuse, as defined by the American Psychiatry Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).

You may not qualify if…

• Current use of certain prescription medications that may interfere with thermoregulation and/or blood pressure control during heat stress. These include anti-hypertensives (in particular beta-blockers), nitrates and nitrites (e.g. nitroglycerin), PDE5 inhibitors (e.g. Viagra), anticholinergics (e.g. amitriptyline), and alpha-blockers (e.g. Flomax).
• Orthostatic hypotension
• Current or past smoking within the last 5 years
• Recent major change in health status within previous 6 months (i.e. surgery, significant infection or illness).
• Chronic clinical diseases (e.g., inflammatory bowel diseases/irritable bowel syndrome, coronary artery/peripheral artery/cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis, neurological disorders or diseases that may affect motor/cognitive functions [multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, polio, Alzheimer's disease, dementia or other brain diseases of aging]).
• History of heat-related illness
• Open wounds or skin lesions. History of skin-related conditions or sensitivities to prolonged water immersion or exposure to pool chemicals.
• Blood donation within the past 2 months
• Inability to tolerate blood draws, intravenous catheters, and/or fingertip blood sampling, including past fainting in response to blood sampling.
• Rectal, anal, vaginal, or prostate surgery within the last 6 months, current or recent (within the last 6 months) hemorrhoids, or related concerns regarding use of rectal thermistor

Where it is running

• University of Colorado Boulder — Boulder, Colorado, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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