A Randomized Controlled Multicenter Trial of Exercise Training in Pulmonary Hypertension in European Countries
Study Purpose
Chronic pulmonary hypertension (PH) is associated with impaired exercise capacity, quality of life and right ventricular function. The disease is characterized by an increase of pulmonary vascular resistance and pulmonary arterial pressure, leading to right heart insufficiency. Despite optimized combination-medical therapy most patients remain symptomatic, have reduced exercise capacity, quality of life and reduced survival rates, with an annual mortality rate of approximately 5 -15 % or even higher. Previous training studies have suggested that exercise training as add-on to medical treatment is highly effective improving exercise capacity, quality of life and symptoms. The current guidelines recommend exercise training only in specialized centres including both PH and rehabilitation specialists who are experienced in exercise training of severely compromised patients. A specialized PH-training program has been performed in Heidelberg since 2003 including >1200 patients with various forms of chronic PH. The exercise training program is performed in a special setting with an in-hospital start of the rehabilitation program. It is characterized by a low-dose closely supervised exercise training in small groups with additional psychological support and mental training. This training program for patients with PH will be implemented in European centers to add exercise training to the existing PH therapies. The effect of the training on physical exercise capacity will be assessed by 6-minute walking distance (6-MWD). Further clinical parameters will be assessed to evaluate the effect on exercise capacity, quality of life and symptoms. The aim of this study is to guide European PH-centers to become specialized centers for training in PH. 126 patients will be included, who either receive exercise training or continue their daily sedentary life style (1:1 randomization) for 15 weeks. As inpatient settings are not available in all healthcare systems the training program will be adapted from the specific training program for PH patients developed in Heidelberg to a procedure, which is feasible in the local participating centres. Another objective of this study is to assess if the particular adopted training program specified for each participating centre and country is still safe and effective.
Recruitment Criteria
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Healthy volunteers are participants who do not have a disease or condition, or related conditions or symptoms |
No |
Study Type
An interventional clinical study is where participants are assigned to receive one or more interventions (or no intervention) so that researchers can evaluate the effects of the interventions on biomedical or health-related outcomes. An observational clinical study is where participants identified as belonging to study groups are assessed for biomedical or health outcomes. Searching Both is inclusive of interventional and observational studies. |
Interventional |
Eligible Ages | 18 Years and Over |
Gender | All |
Trial Details
Trial ID:
This trial id was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, providing information on publicly and privately supported clinical studies of human participants with locations in all 50 States and in 196 countries. |
NCT03345212 |
Phase
Phase 1: Studies that emphasize safety and how the drug is metabolized and excreted in humans. Phase 2: Studies that gather preliminary data on effectiveness (whether the drug works in people who have a certain disease or condition) and additional safety data. Phase 3: Studies that gather more information about safety and effectiveness by studying different populations and different dosages and by using the drug in combination with other drugs. Phase 4: Studies occurring after FDA has approved a drug for marketing, efficacy, or optimal use. |
N/A |
Lead Sponsor
The sponsor is the organization or person who oversees the clinical study and is responsible for analyzing the study data. |
Heidelberg University |
Principal Investigator
The person who is responsible for the scientific and technical direction of the entire clinical study. |
Ekkehard Grünig, MD |
Principal Investigator Affiliation | Centre for pulmonary hypertension of the Thoraxclinic at the University Hospital Heidelberg |
Agency Class
Category of organization(s) involved as sponsor (and collaborator) supporting the trial. |
Other |
Overall Status | Recruiting |
Countries | Germany |
Conditions
The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. |
Pulmonary Hypertension |
Contact a Trial Team
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