Complementary and Alternative Medicine Sauna Detoxification Study: Phase I

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Sauna Detoxification Study: A Phase I Randomized 2-Arm Study to Determine the Impact of Hyperthermia Intervention Protocol on Serum Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in Healthy Human Adults.

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of sauna use on polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in the blood of healthy human adults, as well as to assess safety, feasibility, and tolerability, and effects on quality of life and wellness. We hope to determine if there is a link between lower PCB levels in blood and sauna use.

Study Overview

• Status: Terminated
• Conditions: Hyperthermia
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Sauna Detoxification Protocol; Other: Observation Sessions

Detailed Description

This is a Phase I, 2-Arm randomized trial.

All study participants will actively undergo sauna intervention sessions and observation sessions.

The time between Phone Screen and the End of Study Visit will vary by individual schedule. For the purposes of this study, a participant will be considered 'actively enrolled' when s/he has signed the Full Study Consent Form on the first sauna or observation visit (SV1 or OV1). Each participant will be actively enrolled for at least 7 weeks, but no more than 22 weeks.

All participants will undergo Phone Screen for eligibility prior to participating in any study-related visits. Candidates will first be asked for their oral consent to be screened, and if granted, questioning will continue. If the participant meets pre-screening criteria assessed on the phone, they will be asked to schedule an In-Person Screening Visit.

Prior to randomization, all participants will participate in an In-Person Screening Visit at the Bastyr University (BU) Clinical Research Center (CRC) for: informed consent, to have a blood draw for screening lab analysis, anthropomorphic measurements, a 12-lead ECG assessment, provide demographic data, and medical history assessment.

If participants remain interested and eligible, they will be randomized into either Sauna-First Arm or Observation-First Arm within 2 weeks of eligibility ascertainment using block randomization scheme.

Participants will know that they are in an intervention, but will not know their PCB levels, or the results of questionnaire assessments until approximately three months after the end of the study. The PI will review monitoring and AE data, but will be blinded to PCB data during analysis.

After screening, randomization, and informed consent, study participants in either Arm will either complete a 3-week observation period followed by a 3-week medically monitored sauna-based detoxification intervention; or will first complete a 3-week medically monitored sauna-based detoxification intervention, followed by a 3-week observation period. Each participant will also have an End of Study Visit at least 7 days after the last study visit (Sauna or Observation Visit -depending on the Arm).

The sauna will be pre-warmed to 160 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity set to 25% +/- 5%. Participants will have a scheduled 10-min break every 30 minutes of sauna, during which time vital signs, symptoms, and fluid intake will be assessed and recorded.

During Sauna Visits weekly lab assessments will be performed to compare participants' baseline lab values with those during the sauna intervention, and to monitor for safety. In addition, weekly serum samples will be taken for PCB assessment.

During each Observation Visit a blood draw for Complete Blood Count with Differential (CBC/D), Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP), and PCBs analysis will be performed, as well as query for symptoms and MOSES questionnaire will be assessed.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 1
• Phase: Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Washington
    • Kenmore, Washington, United States, 98028
      • Bastyr University Research Institute, Clinical Research Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 19 years to 33 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 21-35 years.
• Body mass index (BMI) 19 to 29.9 kg/m2 at the screening evaluation.
• Ability to schedule and attend daily visits for the duration of the study.
• If female, willingness to use barrier contraception (e.g., cervical cap, diaphragm, condom, metal (non- hormone) Intrauterine Device (IUD) throughout the study and take a pregnancy test at screening and weekly during the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnant, or trying to become pregnant in the three months following screening.
• Current use of any prescribed pharmaceutical medications (including oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) and dietary supplements).
• Refusal to stop taking self-prescribed dietary supplements and OCPs for the duration of the study.
• BMI greater than 29.9 kg/m2 or less than 19 kg/m2.
• Elevated fasting blood sugar (above 125 mg/dL).
• Abnormal ECG findings of: bradycardia (heart rate below 60) not due to athletic bradycardia, ventricular arrhythmias, axis deviation, coronary circulation problems (ischemia/infarct/injury), or any activation sequence disorders (e.g. Right/Left Bundle Branch Block (RBBB/LBBB) and Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW).)
• Hyper or hypotension (BP above 180/100 or below 80/50 respectively).
• A reported diagnosis of any chronic medical condition (e.g., multiple sclerosis, diabetes, or endocrine disorders, liver disease, kidney disease, HIV/AIDS, or cancer), or with a reported history of substance abuse or mental illness within the past 5 years, or a mental health disorder in the past 6 months.
• CBC/D, ALT-Liver Protein, AST-Liver Protein, Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), or Creatinine outside of 15% of the Lower/Upper Limit of Normal (LLN/ULN) values.
• Recent infection (<14 days), open sores, or communicable skin conditions.
• Current reported use of any tobacco products or illicit drugs.
• Any condition that, in the opinion of the investigators or Institutional Review Board (IRB), would preclude the safe completion of the study (e.g., clinical or mental health concerns that arise from the overall screening or medical history assessment).
• Previous participation in the pilot sauna detoxification study, and/or participation in a detoxification program within the last 6 months of the Phone Screen.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Observation-First Arm; A group that first attends 4 observation visits without sauna, and then attends sauna sessions 5 times a week for 3.5 hours per visit for 3 weeks. Participants in this Arm will undergo both listed interventions: Observation and Sauna Protocols.	Other: Sauna Detoxification Protocol; All study participants will actively undergo sauna intervention sessions. The sauna will be pre-warmed to 160 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity set to 25% +/- 5%. Participants will have a scheduled 10-min break every 30 minutes of sauna, during which time vital signs, symptoms, and fluid intake will be assessed and recorded. On a weekly basis, lab assessments will be performed to compare participants' baseline lab values with those during the sauna intervention, and to monitor for safety. In addition, weekly serum samples will be taken for PCB assessment.; Other Names: Sauna-based detoxification; Other: Observation Sessions; All enrolled participants will undergo observation protocol consisting of one (1) hour visit weekly consistent with Sauna Visits lab assessment time points, to be completed in 3 weeks (4 total sessions within 21 days). At each Observation Visit a blood draw for CBC/D, CMP, and PCBs analysis will be performed, as well as query for symptoms and MOSES questionnaire will be assessed.
Active Comparator: Sauna-First Arm; A group that first attends sauna sessions 5 times a week for 3.5 hours per visit for 3 weeks and then attends 4 observation visits without sauna. Participants in this Arm will undergo both listed interventions: Observation and Sauna Protocols.	Other: Sauna Detoxification Protocol; All study participants will actively undergo sauna intervention sessions. The sauna will be pre-warmed to 160 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity set to 25% +/- 5%. Participants will have a scheduled 10-min break every 30 minutes of sauna, during which time vital signs, symptoms, and fluid intake will be assessed and recorded. On a weekly basis, lab assessments will be performed to compare participants' baseline lab values with those during the sauna intervention, and to monitor for safety. In addition, weekly serum samples will be taken for PCB assessment.; Other Names: Sauna-based detoxification; Other: Observation Sessions; All enrolled participants will undergo observation protocol consisting of one (1) hour visit weekly consistent with Sauna Visits lab assessment time points, to be completed in 3 weeks (4 total sessions within 21 days). At each Observation Visit a blood draw for CBC/D, CMP, and PCBs analysis will be performed, as well as query for symptoms and MOSES questionnaire will be assessed.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Impact of sauna protocol on PCB levels	The primary comparison measure will be PCB levels at Sauna Visit 15 in the sauna-first Arm and Observation Visit 4 in the Observation-First Arm.	6 weeks
Safety	To evaluate the safety of sauna detoxification by recording and describing all adverse events (AE's) throughout the study.	6 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Participant-Reported Symptoms	To describe changes in quality of life and participant-reported symptoms associated with participation in the study. Query for symptoms will be recorded daily during all sauna visits (SV1-15), at each observation visit (OV1-4), and at the End of Study Visit. The RAND Short Form 36 Questionnaire, and NIH Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Questionnaires: Global Wellness, Fatigue, Physical Function will be assessed at SV1, OV1, and End of Study Visit.	6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Bastyr University
• Collaborators: National Institutes of Health (NIH); National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Jason Allen, ND, MPH, Bastyr University Research Institute

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Bastyr University Detoxification Research

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: July 1, 2013
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 1, 2013
• Study Completion (Actual): April 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 16, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 18, 2013
• First Posted (Estimate): July 23, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): April 17, 2015
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 16, 2015
• Last Verified: April 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Hyperthermia; Detoxification; Sauna
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Wounds and Injuries; Body Temperature Changes; Heat Stress Disorders; Hyperthermia; Fever
• Other Study ID Numbers: H35B11-Phase1; 5R00AT004711-04 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)