An Exercise and Lifestyle Programme for Adults With Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: A Feasibility Study

July 9, 2026 updated by: Markos Klonizakis, Sheffield Hallam University

Co-Producing and Piloting an Exercise-Based Lifestyle Intervention for Individuals With Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (vEDS): A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study

Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS) is a rare, life-threatening connective tissue disorder. People with vEDS have often been advised to limit physical activity, yet the safety and feasibility of structured exercise in this group is poorly understood. This study works with people with vEDS, their families and clinicians to co-design a safe, tailored physical activity programme, then tests it in a 12-week randomised feasibility study comparing the programme with usual care. The aim is to find out whether the intervention and the trial procedures are safe, acceptable and practical, in order to inform a future full-scale trial. Outcomes focus on recruitment, retention, adherence, acceptability and safety, alongside exploratory measures of physical function, quality of life and microvascular health.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet 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

This is a mixed-methods feasibility study delivered across four phases. Phase 1 uses qualitative interviews with people with vEDS, family members and clinicians to understand experiences of physical activity and decision-making under uncertain clinical guidance. Phase 2 uses co-production focus groups to design the exercise-based lifestyle intervention. Phase 3 is a 12-week randomised feasibility trial in which adults with vEDS are randomised to the co-produced intervention or to usual care, assessing feasibility outcomes (recruitment, retention, adherence, data completeness, acceptability and safety) and exploratory clinical measures. Phase 4 uses post-intervention interviews to explore participant experiences and refine the intervention. The registered trial corresponds to the Phase 3 randomised feasibility component; the qualitative phases provide the development and evaluation context.

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.
40

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 Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults aged 18 years or older
  • Confirmed diagnosis of vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS)
  • Living in the UK
  • Able to provide informed consent
  • Medically stable, defined as: no arterial dissection, rupture, or other major vEDS-related vascular event within the preceding 6 months; no recent hospitalisation for vEDS complications; and blood pressure considered controlled by their treating clinician
  • Medical clearance from their treating clinician
  • Not pregnant at the time of enrolment

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Major vEDS-related vascular event (arterial dissection or rupture) within the previous 6 months
  • Recent hospitalisation for vEDS complications
  • Blood pressure not controlled by treating clinician
  • Pregnancy at enrolment (participants who become pregnant during the intervention are withdrawn from the exercise component but may continue follow-up data collection if they wish)
  • Unable to provide informed consent

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: None (Open Label)

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: Intervention
Participants receive a 12-week co-produced, remotely supervised, low-intensity and low-impact exercise-based lifestyle intervention, tailored to individual capacity, with weekly remote monitoring.
Behavioral: Co-designed exercise-based lifestyle intervention
A 12-week individually tailored exercise-based lifestyle programme, co-produced with people with vEDS, delivered remotely with supervision and weekly monitoring. Comprises low-intensity, low-impact aerobic and functional activity progressed to individual capacity, with behavioural support to encourage sustained physical activity.
No Intervention: Usual Care
Participants continue standard NHS medical care and any lifestyle advice from their treating clinicians, with no study intervention.

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
Recruitment rate
Time Frame: From study start through completion of recruitment, up to 12 months
Proportion of eligible participants who consent to take part, expressed as a monthly recruitment rate.
From study start through completion of recruitment, up to 12 months
Retention rate
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Proportion of randomised participants completing the 12-week intervention (progression target ≥80%)
12 weeks
Adherence
Time Frame: Over the 12-week intervention period
Proportion of prescribed exercise sessions completed (target ≥60%), assessed by session completion records and device-based monitoring (step count and heart rate via ActiGraph accelerometer
Over the 12-week intervention period
Data completeness
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Proportion of participants completing outcome measures at baseline and 12 weeks (target ≥75%)
Baseline and 12 weeks
Acceptability
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Acceptability assessed via a questionnaire informed by the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (seven constructs, 5-point Likert scale), supplemented by post-intervention interviews
12 weeks
Adverse events and serious adverse events
Time Frame: Throughout the 12-week intervention period
Number, type and severity of adverse events and serious adverse events, reviewed by the independent Data Safety Committee.
Throughout the 12-week intervention period

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
Fatigue
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
FACIT-Fatigue Scale (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Fatigue); score range 0-52; higher scores indicate less fatigue (better outcome)
Baseline and 12 weeks
Anxiety and depression
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); two subscales (anxiety and depression), each scored 0-21; higher scores indicate greater symptom severity (worse outcome)
Baseline and 12 weeks
Health-related quality of life
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
EQ-5D-5L; index value ranging from below 0 to 1, where 1 = full health and higher = better; includes a 0-100 visual analogue scale (higher = better health)
Baseline and 12 weeks
Physical activity
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form; reported as MET-minutes per week; higher values indicate greater physical activity
Baseline and 12 weeks
Lower-limb strength and endurance
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
30-Second Sit-to-Stand Test; number of full sit-to-stand repetitions completed in 30 seconds; higher counts indicate better lower-limb strength and endurance (better outcome)
Baseline and 12 weeks
Sub-maximal aerobic capacity
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
2-Minute Step Test; total number of steps completed in 2 minutes; higher counts indicate better aerobic capacity (better outcome).
Baseline and 12 weeks
Muscle strength
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Hand grip strength via Jamar handheld dynamometer, recorded in kilograms (best of three attempts per hand); higher values indicate greater muscle strength (better outcome)
Baseline and 12 weeks
Functional mobility
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB); composite score 0-12 from balance, 4-metre gait speed, and 5-repetition sit-to-stand; higher scores indicate better lower-extremity function (better outcome)
Baseline and 12 weeks
Orthostatic heart rate response
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Heart rate measured supine and on standing (1, 3, 5 min) to screen for orthostatic intolerance
Baseline and 12 weeks
Orthostatic blood pressure response
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Blood pressure measured supine and on standing (1, 3, 5 min) to screen for orthostatic hypotension.
Baseline and 12 weeks
Microvascular function
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Cutaneous vascular conductance via Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging during local thermal hyperaemia. Expressed as cutaneous vascular conductance (perfusion units/mmHg); higher values indicate greater microvascular reactivity
Baseline and 12 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.
Sheffield Hallam University

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: Markos Klonizakis, Sheffield Hallam University

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 (Estimated)

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.
March 1, 2027

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.
October 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.
March 17, 2028

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).
June 16, 2026

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.
July 9, 2026

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.
July 13, 2026

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.
July 13, 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.
July 9, 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.
July 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.
  • IRAS361077
  • 26/NE/0025 (Other Identifier: REC)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

This is a small feasibility study not powered for efficacy. Individual participant data will not be shared. Sheffield Hallam University is the Data Controller; data are pseudonymised, stored securely, and retained in line with UK GDPR and institutional policy. Aggregate findings will be disseminated through open-access publication.

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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