Knee Exercise Training to Study Blood Flow in Veterans With Heart Failure
Tests knee exercise training in Veterans with a heart condition causing stiff heart muscle.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Muscle Blood Flow Regulation in HFpEF
Key facts
- Where
- Salt Lake City, United StatesSee the site
Where in United States
- VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UTSalt Lake City, United StatesTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- VA Office of Research and Development
- Trial code
- NCT05115890
- Record updated
- 21 April 2026
- Original description
Heart failure with preserved ejection (HFpEF) disproportionately affects Veterans and is the number one reason for hospital discharge in the VA Health Care System. Exercise intolerance is a common complication experienced by patients with HFpEF, perpetuating physical inactivity and accelerating disease progression. This research proposal aims to elucidate mechanisms responsible for inadequate skeletal muscle blood flow and exercise intolerance in patients with HFpEF compared with healthy controls as well as following 8 weeks of exercise training in patients with HFpEF only.Read full original descriptionShow less
Mechanisms of Impaired Skeletal Muscle Blood Flow and Exercise Intolerance in Veterans With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: Efficacy of Knee Extensor Training
Heart failure with preserved ejection (HFpEF) disproportionately affects Veterans and is the number one reason for hospital discharge in the VA Health Care System. Exercise intolerance is a common complication experienced by patients with HFpEF, perpetuating physical inactivity and accelerating disease progression. This research proposal aims to elucidate mechanisms responsible for inadequate skeletal muscle blood flow and exercise intolerance in patients with HFpEF compared with healthy controls as well as following 8 weeks of exercise training in patients with HFpEF only.
Inclusion: Age 18 years or older and able to give written informed consent; New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II or III; Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) > 50%; Plasma Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) >200 pg/mL or NT-proBNP 400 pg/mL at enrollment.
Exclusion: Prior EF of <50%; Women currently taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) will be excluded from the proposed studies due to the direct vascular effects of HRT; Acute coronary syndrome, infiltrative cardiomyopathy, or myocarditis; Patients with HFpEF secondary to significant uncorrected primary valvular disease (except mitral regurgitation secondary to left ventricular dysfunction); Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, but the typical age of female patients with HFpEF will be postmenopausal; NYHA Class IV or HF that cannot be stabilized on optimized pharmacotherapy; Orthopedic limitations that would prohibit knee-extensor exercise; Current smokers.