Influence of Pulse Electromagnetic Field Therapy on Myocardial Ischemia

September 4, 2026 updated by: Courtney M. Wheatley, Mayo Clinic
This study is being done to observe the effects of treatment from a device called the Bioboosti which utilizes pulsed electromagnetic waves on its ability to improve blood flow to the heart tissue in individuals with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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.

Detailed Description

Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy is a noninvasive technique, which provides low field electromagnetic stimulation. The therapy of PEMF is achieved by altering biological and physiological systems via low energy and non-ionizing electromagnetic fields. PEMF therapy was originally used clinically to manage osteoarthritis related pain and stiffness and to augment bone healing. In addition, recent research has explored the beneficial therapeutic effect of PEMF on microvasculature and circulation. More recently, research interest has been toward the effect of PEMF on various targets, including peripheral vascular function and blood flow. It has been suggested that PEMF therapy enhances the binding of free calcium (Ca2+) to calmodulin (CaM) and this phenomenon might improve tissue repair and pain and moreover other studies suggested an effect of PEMF on Ca/CaM-dependent nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathway, which is one of the major components for controlling vascular tone and blood pressure (BP, figure 1). The investigators have recently demonstrated that in subjects with metabolic syndrome with hypertension, 12 weeks of daily therapy using Bioboosti tended to lower BP and raise plasma NO levels as well as improve flow mediated dilation. In a small pilot study from China, subjects with a history of diffuse coronary disease and evidence of myocardial ischemia performed radionuclide SPECT before and after PEMF therapy or control. In this small pilot study there was evidence of reduced ischemia in the treatment group vs a control group. Thus the focus of this proposal is to pursue a larger clinical trial to demonstrate the benefits of PEMF therapy using the Bioboosti PEMF device to reduce the ischemic burden in patients with coronary artery disease.

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 (Estimated)

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.
120

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
    • Arizona
      • Scottsdale, Arizona, United States, 85259
        • Recruiting
        • Mayo Clinic in Arizona
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Courtney Wheatley-Guy, PhD
    • Minnesota
      • Rochester, Minnesota, United States, 55905
        • Recruiting
        • Mayo Clinic in Rochester
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Bruce Johnson, PhD
        • Contact:

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 and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age ≥ 18 years old.
  • Known cardiac ischemia, who are non revascularizable, or have not and will not be undergo coronary intervention for the duration of their participation in the study.
  • Evidence of ischemia from previous clinical tests (echo, nuclear, standard ECG from past 6 months).
  • Left Ventricular Ejection fraction > 40% by echo (evaluated last 3 months).
  • Able to complete a cardiopulmonary exercise test without significant non cardiac limitations, primarily orthopedic.
  • On guideline directed optimal therapy for stable ischemia.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Anemia (< 7 mg/dl).
  • Low potassium (< 3 mmol/L).
  • Creatinine (> 5.0 mg/dl or < 0.6 mg/dl).
  • Unable to exercise due primarily to orthopedic limitation.
  • Severe lung disease.
  • Morbid obesity (BMI > 42).
  • Pregnant.
  • Breast feeding.
  • Significant arrhythmia (ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, frequent premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), persistent atrial fibrillation, or 2nd or 3rd degree atrioventricular (AV) block).
  • Seizures.
  • Unstable angina.
  • Coronary spasm.
  • Recent myocardial infarction (< 90 days).
  • Recent percutaneous coronary intervention (<90 days).

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: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

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: Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy
A portable PEMF device will be utilized. For the PEMF group, the device includes adjustable magnetic field strength range (X-axis: 0.22±0.05 mT, Y-axis: 0.20±0.05 mT and Z-axis: 0.06±0.02 mT) and working frequency (30±3Hz). This magnetic strength range and frequency will be maintained during 180 days of the study period. The subjects will be instructed to use their device three times per day: providing micromagnetic emitting on both hands (palms) during morning, afternoon and evening/night sessions. Each session takes 16 min (both hands, 8 min per hand) and thus subjects are exposed to therapy for 48 min per day. Subjects will use the device as outlined continuously up through the final days of testing.
Device: Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF)
Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy is a noninvasive technique, which provides low field electromagnetic stimulation. The therapy of PEMF is achieved by altering biological and physiological systems via low energy and non-ionizing electromagnetic fields.
Sham Comparator: Sham PEMF therapy
The sham PEMF devices are modified to deliver no micromagnetic field when turned on. The subjects will be instructed to use their device three times per day: providing micromagnetic emitting on both hands (palms) during morning, afternoon and evening/night sessions. Each session takes 16 min (both hands, 8 min per hand) and thus subjects are exposed to therapy for 48 min per day. Subjects will use the device as outlined continuously up through the final days of testing.
Device: Inactive Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF)
PEMF device that turns on but does not provide any electromagnetic stimulation

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
Myocardial blood flow during chemical stress
Time Frame: change from baseline to post 6 months treatment
assessment of myocardial blood flow using 13N-ammonia myocardial perfusion positron emission tomography (PET) to quantify blood flow during chemical induced stress
change from baseline to post 6 months treatment

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
Peak Oxygen Consumption
Time Frame: change from baseline to post 6 months treatment
Maximal oxygen consumption during maximal oxygen consumption
change from baseline to post 6 months treatment
Seattle Angina Questionnaire
Time Frame: change from baseline to post 6 months treatment
questionnaire to assess angina symptoms where scores range from 0- 100 and higher scores mean better outcomes or less angina symptoms
change from baseline to post 6 months treatment
Time to angina onset during exercise
Time Frame: change from baseline to post 6 months treatment
angina onset/threshold intensity during maximal exercise test
change from baseline to post 6 months treatment
Exercise capacity (treadmill time)
Time Frame: change from baseline to post 6 months treatment
total time on treadmill with maximal exercise test
change from baseline to post 6 months treatment
New York Heart Association Heart Failure Functional classification
Time Frame: change from baseline to post 6 months treatment
New York Heart Association classification on functional ability of heart failure patients based on symptoms
change from baseline to post 6 months treatment

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.
Mayo Clinic

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Courtney Wheatley-Guy, PhD, Mayo Clinic
  • Principal Investigator: Bruce Johnson, PhD, Mayo Clinic

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

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.
May 18, 2022

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
June 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
December 1, 2027

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).
October 27, 2021

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.
October 27, 2021

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.
November 8, 2021

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.
September 9, 2026

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.
September 4, 2026

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.
September 1, 2026

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.
  • 19-008996

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

Yes

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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