Man running on Treadmill

Open Studies


Synchronizing cardiac cycle phase with foot strike to optimize LV performance in patients with advanced heart failure and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT)

The Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine is currently seeking research subjects who would be interested in walking on a treadmill for several short periods of time to the sound of a beeping tone. The beeping tone will be synchronized to different phases of your heartbeat. Must have a CRT pacemaker (CRT-P or CRT-D).

IRB Study 2018-0262

Purpose

This study, which is funded by Medtronic, is being done to determine whether synchronizing your foot with your heartbeat has an effect on your heart function, the amount of oxygen delivered to your muscles, and/or your running or walking performance.

Additional Details

This is a research study because it is unknown how stepping during different time points between your heart beats (for example, when your heart is contracting vs. relaxing) affects how well your heart can pump and how much blood and oxygen reaches your muscles. To determine this information, we will use a non-invasive strap placed around your chest to measure your heart rate and the time when your foot contacts the ground as you walk or run slowly on a treadmill.

Qualifications
  • Your medicines and condition have been stable for several months or years
  • You have good hearing, so you can hear the beeping tone
  • You are not a smoker
  • You don’t have lung disease like pulmonary hypertension, COPD or tuberculosis
  • You don’t have a lot of joint or musculoskeletal pain that would keep you from walking on a treadmill

Participation will require 2 study visits lasting about 5-6 hours in total.

Contact Information

If you would like more information please contact MargotMorris@texashealth.org at 214-345-4629.

High Intensity Exercise for Increasing Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

The Institute of Exercise and Environmental Medicine is currently seeking research subjects for a study comparing how effective high intensity exercise and moderate intensity exercise are for increasing fitness among individuals with a genetic heart condition that causes an abnormally large heart (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy).

IRB STU# 72017-048

Purpose

This study, which is funded by the American College of Sports Medicine Foundation, American Heart Association, and Biotronik, is being done to because we do not know the most effective way to improve fitness and health via exercise in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In the past, such patients were not allowed to participate in high intensity sports. However, recent data suggest that moderate exercise training can be done safely, and high intensity training may be even more effective. This study will compare these two different types of training (moderate compared with high intensity training) to see which is more effective, and to ensure that both are safe in patients.

Requirements to participate
  • Male and female patients aged 18 – 80 years old
  • Diagnosed with HCM
  • Left ventricular ejection fraction > 55%
  • Absence of chronic orthopedic injury with limits the ability to exercise
  • No history of exercise-induced syncope or arrythmias
  • No recent (within 3 months) septal reduction therapy
  • Not pregnant
  • Absence of coronary artery disease/angina

Participation will require several study visits and 2 months of yoga training, followed by 5 months of high intensity exercise training or moderate exercise training.  Qualified individuals will be compensated.

Contact Information

If you would like more information, please contact: ErikaIvey@texashealth.org, Senior Research Associate at 214-345-4641.