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NCT06937320Enrolling by invitationPhase 2

Chronic Exogenous Ketosis in HFpEF

Chronic Effects of Exogenous Ketone Administration in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 14 Oct 2026

Brief summary (registry, in English)

The goal of this clinical research study is to test what effects a ketone drink will have in people with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), including on exercise and heart function. Patients with HFpEF often have difficulty exercising, and our goal is to understand whether a ketone drink changes much patients can exercise. The study has three visits, including a baseline visit to assess for study eligibility, and two visits (one after 8 weeks of a ketone drink or a placebo drink, and another one after 8 weeks of whichever drink the participant did not receive the first time).

Status (registry)
Enrolling by invitation
Phase (registry)
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
20 (estimated)
First submitted
15 Apr 2025
Start date
28 Jul 2025
Primary completion date
Jun 2027
Lead sponsor
Duke University
NCT number
NCT06937320

What you commit to

  • Study type: Interventional · Phase 2
  • Planned participants: 20
  • From 28 Jul 2025 to the primary completion date, Jun 2027
  • 1 site in 1 country
  • Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them

Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.

Who cannot take part

Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.

Prior treatment

  • Participation in another clinical study with an investigational product in the previous 4 weeks prior to enrollment (or longer if deemed necessary by the investigator).

Other illness

  • Cirrhosis or alcohol use disorder (\>14 drinks/week).
  • Clinically significant lung disease, defined as severe obstructive lung disease (Gold stage 3), a requirement for supplemental oxygen, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with an exacerbation requiring steroids or antibiotics within the last 2 months.
  • Type 1 diabetes mellitus
  • Angina due to epicardial coronary disease or known presence of clinically-significant, unrevascularized epicardial coronary disease, in the investigator's opinion.
  • Conditions that may render the patient unable to complete the study, in the opinion of the investigator.

Lab values

  • Contraindications to stress testing, conditions that limit exercise, and other clinically-significant causes of exertional limitation (claudication with peripheral artery disease, atrial fibrillation and heart rate \>110 at rest, systolic blood pressure\>180 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure\>110 mmHg, infiltrative/hypertrophic/inflammatory cardiomyopathy, clinically significant pericardial disease, joint or neuromuscular disease that precludes exercise, acute coronary syndrome within the last 2 months, estimated glomerular filtration rate\<20 mL/min/1.73 m2, and hemoglobin \< 9 mg/dL).
  • Prior reduced LVEF to \< 45% by echocardiography or cardiac MRI

Other

  • Intentional ketogenic (high fat, low carbohydrate) diet in the last week
  • \> Moderate aortic stenosis, \>mild mitral stenosis, \> moderate aortic or mitral regurgitation on screening echocardiogram, or presence of a prosthetic valve in the mitral position.
  • Start of a GLP-1 RA within the past 6 months.
  • Pregnant women.

Who the study is looking for

  • 18 years of age or older
  • Stable medical therapy for at least 2 weeks
  • New York Heart Association (NYHA) class symptoms II or III
  • Left ventricular ejection fraction ≥ 50%
  • Evidence for elevated filling pressures as follows (at least one of the following between a-d):
    • Mitral early (E)/mitral septal tissue annular (e') velocity ratio \> 8 on echocardiography in addition to one of the following:
    • Enlarged left atrium (LA\>4.0 cm width or LA volume index \>34 mL/m2)
  • Chronic loop diuretic use for control of symptoms
  • Elevated natriuretic peptides within the past year (NT-proBNP\>125 pg/ml or BNP\>35 pg/ml)
  • Mitral E/e' ratio \> 14 at rest or with exercise on echocardiography
  • Elevated invasively-determined filling pressures previously (resting left ventricular end-diastolic pressure \>16 mm Hg or pulmonary capillary wedge pressure \> 14 mmHg; or PCWP or LVEDP ≥ 25 mmHg with exercise)
  • Prior episode of acute heart failure requiring IV diuretics with evidence of volume overload on exam or radiology, or evidence of elevated natriuretic peptides.

Age in the registry: 18 years to - · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers

Full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov

Sites (1)

Sites in registry order. Save your city in your profile to sort them by distance.

SiteCityCountrySite status
Duke University
Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status
DurhamUnited StatesUnknown status

This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.