Virtual Group Exercise and Education to Lower Fall Risk in Older Veterans
Tests virtual group exercise with health education in older Veterans with obesity.
Key facts
- Who runs it
- VA Office of Research and Development
- Where
- Baltimore, United StatesSee the site
- Trial code
- Registry title
- Health Promotion With Targeted Exercise Intervention for Decreasing Fall Risk and Inactivity in Aging Veterans With Obesity and Signs of Sarcopenia
- Status
- Recruiting
- People taking part
- 50 people, planned
- Started
- 1 Apr 2026
- Expected to end
- 30 May 2031
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- Fall prevention exercise
- Health promotion education
- Record updated
- 21 April 2026
Who can take part
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.
The trial is looking for older Veterans with obesity and signs of low muscle mass or strength. It tests a virtual group exercise program with health education against health education alone.
- Age
- 55 years or older
- Sex
- Men and women can join.
- Disease stage
- Body mass index between and including 30 - 40 kg/m^2, with signs of sarcopenia (low muscle mass or strength).
Main reasons for not taking part
- Poorly controlled high blood pressure
- Home oxygen use
- Reasons why exercise or resistance exercise is not safe
- Significant cognitive impairment
- Another medical condition that stops the person from taking part, in the study team's medical judgement
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 11 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Veteran status
- 55 years or older
- VA primary care provider
- Enrolled in the VA Maryland Health Care System for health care
- Body mass index between and including 30 - 40 kg/m\^2
- Showing signs of sarcopenia
Who cannot take part
- Significant cognitive impairment
- Other medical condition precluding patient participation in this study per the medical judgement of the study team
- Poorly controlled hypertensin
- Home oxygen use
- Contraindications to exercise or resistance exercise
Where in United States
- Baltimore VA Medical Center VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MDBaltimore, United StatesContact: Julie S Rekant, DPT PhDTaking people
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
Falls are a major health risk for older Veterans, especially those with both obesity and low muscle mass or strength (sarcopenia), which together increase the chances of falling and losing independence. Many older Veterans have difficulty staying active and often lack information about how to safely exercise. While current guidelines focus mostly on weight loss, losing weight alone can weaken muscles and bones, which may actually raise the risk of falls and injuries. This study is testing the benefits of a virtual group exercise program combined with health education. The goal is to find out if exercise combined with health education is better at lowering fall risk and improving daily activity than health education alone for Veterans with obesity and signs of sarcopenia.
The 2 groups in the trial
- EX + EDUTreatment being tested
Participation in a live virtual fall-prevention exercise intervention plus a health promotion education program.
Treatment: Fall prevention exercise and Health promotion education
- EDUExisting treatment, for comparison
Participation in a live virtual health promotion education program alone.
Treatment: Health promotion education
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?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Health Promotion With Targeted Exercise Intervention for Decreasing Fall Risk and Inactivity in Aging Veterans With Obesity and Signs of Sarcopenia
- Plain-language title
- Virtual Group Exercise and Education to Lower Fall Risk in Older VeteransGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
- AI summary
- From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 12 November 2026.
- Record updated
- 21 April 2026