Effect of IMT in Patients After Acute Exacerbations of COPD
Recruiting now · Not applicable
Conditions studied: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases, COPD, Symptom Exacerbation
In brief
The goal of this clinical trial is to test whether home-based inspiratory muscle training can reduce hospital readmissions and death in patients recovering from a severe acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). The main questions this study aims to answer are: Does adding home-based inspiratory muscle training to usual care lower the risk of all-cause hospital readmission or death within 180 days after discharge? Does inspiratory muscle training improve respiratory muscle strength, symptoms of dyspnea, quality of life, and functional capacity compared to usual care? Researchers will compare patients randomized to: Intervention group: Home-based inspiratory muscle training plus usual care Control group: Usual care only to see if inspiratory muscle training leads to fewer readmissions and deaths, and better patient-reported and physiological outcomes. Participants will: Be hospitalized for ≥3 days due to AECOPD, age ≥35 years, able to consent, and own a compatible smartphone. In the intervention group, receives usual care and additionally inspiratory muscle training: Inspiratory muscle training twice daily for 90 days, then once daily up to day 180, with remote telemonitoring via a smartphone app and online supervised sessions. The control group will continue with usual care (pharmacological treatment, smoking cessation advice, vaccinations, and referral to pulmonary rehabilitation if available). Follow-up assessments will include hospital readmissions, survival, and quality of life questionnaires up to 12 months after discharge.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT07213128
- Run by
- KU Leuven
- People needed
- 358
- Starts
- 2026-01-06
- Expected to finish
- 2029-02-01
- Last updated by the study team
- 2026-05-28
Who can join
Age: 35 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Patients admitted to the hospital ≥3 days for AECOPD
- Read and speak French, Dutch or English
- Age ≥ 35 years
- Able to provide informed consent
- Possessing a smartphone, compatible with the tele-monitoring app and able to perform video meetings.
You may not qualify if…
- Patients already performing IMT at time of inclusion
- Patients with estimated <90 days life expectancy
- Non-COPD pulmonary disease as primary diagnosis
- Active malignancy
- Inability to perform IMT or response to questionnaires (e.g., neurological/cognitive impairment)
- Acute instable cardiac arrythmia or ischemia
- Acute pneumothorax
- Planned lung volume reduction procedure <180days
- Waitlisted for lung transplantation
- Patients admitted to an in-hospital rehabilitation ward
- Patients included in other interventional trial related to COPD that would interfere with our trial outcomes.
Where it is running
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire UCL Namur — Yvoir, Belgium (enrolling)
- Campus Joseph Bracops, Hôpitaux Iris Sud — Anderlecht, Belgium (enrolling)
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Saint-Pierre — Brussels, Belgium (enrolling)
- Grand Hopial de Charleroi — Charleroi, Belgium (enrolling)
- AZORG — Aalst, Belgium (enrolling)
- AZ Maria Middelares — Ghent, Belgium (enrolling)
- Universitair Ziekenhuis Gent — Ghent, Belgium (enrolling)
- AZ Groeninge — Kortrijk, Belgium (enrolling)
- University Hospitals Leuven — Leuven, Belgium (enrolling)
- Centre hospitalier universitaire de Liège — Liège, Belgium (enrolling)
- AZ Delta — Roeselare, Belgium (enrolling)
- Universitair Ziekenhuis Antwerpen — Edegem, Belgium
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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