Heat Therapy and Cardiometabolic Health in Obese Women (CMH)

August 21, 2018 updated by: Christopher T Minson, PhD, University of Oregon
Traditional medical treatments are often based on research done exclusively in males, and recent research efforts in the physiology community have highlighted critical sex differences in disease presentation and progression. For example, the relative risk of fatal heart disease is 50% greater in obese, diabetic women as compared to their male counterparts, and women appear to respond differently to lifestyle interventions such as exercise compared with men. Chronic passive heat exposure (hot tub use) provides alternative or supplemental therapeutic potential for improving cardiovascular and metabolic health in obese women. In addition, passive heat exposure may offer specific cellular protection from stresses like a lack of blood flow (ischemia), which is the primary cause of fatal coronary heart disease. This study is investigating the possible cardiovascular and metabolic health benefits of chronic passive heat exposure, and whether regular hot tub use (3-4 days per week for 8-10 weeks) may reduce obese womens' cardiometabolic risk. The investigators are examining cardiovascular health through blood pressure, blood vessel stiffness, sympathetic ('fight or flight') activity, and responsiveness to stresses like increased or decreased blood flow. The investigators are also examining metabolic health through an oral glucose tolerance test and a subcutaneous fat biopsy. The goal of this research is to develop a therapy targeted toward the specific health needs and complications of obese women, in an effort to improve cardiovascular and metabolic health and provide therapeutic alternatives in this high-risk population.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
20

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Oregon
      • Eugene, Oregon, United States, 97403
        • University of Oregon

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 40 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18-40
  • Body mass index (BMI) between 30-45 kg/m2.
  • Willing to maintain consistent diet and activity patterns through the study
  • Willing to refrain from food, physical activity, supplements, and medications as required before testing days
  • Willing to refrain from blood donations over the course of the study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • overt cardiovascular disease or diabetes
  • medications that affect blood vessel function (i.e. Spironolactone), insulin sensitivity (Metformin), or blood coagulation (i.e. Warfarin)
  • Recent rectal, anal, or vaginal surgery
  • pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive within 6 months.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Heat Therapy
Subjects assigned to heat therapy underwent 30 1-hour hot tub sessions over 8-10 weeks (3-4 per week). The hot tub was set to 40.5 Celsius, and core temperature and heart rate were monitored throughout each session.Subjects were instructed to not make any other dietary or lifestyle changes.Cardiovascular and metabolic health assessments were made Pre (0 heat sessions), mid (after 14-16 heat sessions, ~4-5 weeks), and post (after all 30 heat sessions; ~8-10 weeks).
Behavioral: Heat therapy
Regular hot tub use
No Intervention: Time Control
Subjects were monitored at matched timepoints (start of study, 4-5 weeks, and 8-10 weeks) but not exposed to any intervention. Subjects were instructed to not make any dietary or lifestyle changes.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
systolic blood pressure
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
Resting supine blood pressure, measured in triplicate with median recorded
through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
diastolic blood pressure
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
Resting supine blood pressure, measured in triplicate with median recorded
through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
oral glucose tolerance test
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
glucose and insulin responses to a 75-g, 2-hr oral glucose tolerance test after a 12+hr fast
through study completion, an average of 10 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
muscle sympathetic nerve activity burst frequency
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
recording of sympathetic nerve traffic during supine rest, quantified as burst count per minute
through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
arterial wall thickness (carotid)
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
intimal thickness of common carotid artery assessed using doppler ultrasonography
through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
arterial wall thickness (femoral)
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
intimal thickness of superficial femoral artery assessed using doppler ultrasonography
through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
dynamic arterial compliance (carotid)
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
arterial compliance of common carotid artery measured using ultrasonography
through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
dynamic arterial compliance (femoral)
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
arterial compliance of superficial femoral artery measured using ultrasonography
through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
flow mediated dilation
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
flow-mediated dilation of brachial artery, expressed as % change in diameter. A measure of endothelial function.
through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
flow mediated dilation after ischemia-reperfusion
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
flow-mediated dilation of brachial artery, expressed as % change in diameter, following 20 minute ischemia-20 minute reperfusion. A measure of vascular tolerance to ischemia-reperfusion stress.
through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
Abdominal subcutaneous fat biopsy
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
Adipose tissue sample analyzed for insulin signaling, markers of inflammation, and heat shock protein expression
through study completion, an average of 10 weeks

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
C-reactive protein
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
serum measurement of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, global inflammatory marker
through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
Cholesterol panel
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 10 weeks
serum measurement of cholesterol
through study completion, an average of 10 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Oregon

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
American Heart Association

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 8, 2015

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 30, 2018

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 1, 2018

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 20, 2018

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 21, 2018

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 23, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 23, 2018

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 21, 2018

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 08282015.026

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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