MedPath

OPTImizing CArdiac REhabilitation by REfining Sleep and STress and STress

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Cardiovascular Diseases
Registration Number
NCT06505109
Lead Sponsor
Erasmus Medical Center
Brief Summary

The primary objective of this project is to investigate the effectiveness and costs of integrating a behavioural program targeting sleep and stress (the RESST intervention) into cardiac rehabilitation (CR). In addition, the investigators will also study whether parameters regarding diversity (e.g., sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic position) are associated with intervention effectiveness. Furthermore, the investigators aim to explore the (bidirectional) relation between sleep and stress on the one hand, and other lifestyle components and health outcomes on the other hand.

Detailed Description

CR focuses on the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by promoting a healthy lifestyle and is a valuable approach to improve quality of life, mortality and hospital readmissions. However, optimization of CR is necessary. Current CR programs pay insufficient attention to sleep and stress problems, despite more than 50% of CVD patients experiencing sleep problems and high stress levels. Both sleep and stress are associated with adverse cardiovascular health and a decreased quality of life. The hypothesis for this study is that adding a behavioural intervention will improve sleep and perceived stress (primary outcomes), along with positive outcomes on biomarkers of chronic stress, QoL, cardiometabolic risk factors, physical fitness, lifestyle components, and psychosocial well-being.

The project involves a multicenter randomized controlled trial. The intervention group (100 patients) will receive standard CR along with the RESST intervention, consisting of 5-6 on-site group sessions integrating principles from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and focused on improving sleep and stress. The control group (100 patients) will receive standard multidisciplinary CR only.

The primary outcomes of the study include both objective and subjective measures of sleep, as well as perceived stress. Secondary outcomes encompass quality of life, chronic stress biomarkers, cardiometabolic risk factors, physical fitness, lifestyle components and psychosocial wellbeing. These outcomes will be assessed before and after the intervention, as well as at a 6-month follow-up.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
200
Inclusion Criteria
  • Age at or above 18 years
  • Proficient in the Dutch language
  • Experiencing sleep and/or stress problems as indicated by a high score on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI score >5) or Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10 score >13)
  • Signed informed consent
Exclusion Criteria
  • Severe psychiatric, cognitive or physical comorbidity that would impede CR participation
  • Active treatment for sleep disorders, stress, or other forms of (behavioural) therapy at the start of the study or expected to start within the first 6 months of the study, that could interfere with the RESST intervention. Note: Participants with previously diagnosed sleep disorders are eligible if they still experience sleep or stress problems, unless they fall under the above criteria. Participants who received a prior treatment that is still ongoing but has resulted in a stable sleep and stress condition in the 3 months before the cardiovascular event (e.g., Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)) are eligible.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Objectively assessed sleep efficiencyAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured with a GENEACTIV accelerometer for 7 days and nights continuously.

Objectively assessed sleep durationAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured with a GENEACTIV accelerometer for 7 days and nights continuously.

Objectively assessed wake after sleep onsetAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured with a GENEACTIV accelerometer for 7 days and nights continuously.

Perceived stress levelAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured with the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) questionnaire. Score between 0-40, higher score indicates higher perceived stress.

Objectively assessed sleep-onset latencyAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured with a GENEACTIV accelerometer for 7 days and nights continuously.

Self-reported sleep qualityAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire. Score between 0-21, higher score indicates worse sleep quality.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Health related quality of lifeAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured with the EuroQol 5D/EQ5D questionnaire. Score between -0.446 - 1, higher score indicates a better health state. One subscale has a score between 0-100, higher score indicates better perceived health.

FatigueAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured with the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) questionnaire. Score between 9-63, higher score indicates a greater fatigue severity.

Daytime sleepinessAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) questionnaire. Score between 0-24, higher score indicates a higher level of daytime sleepiness.

Anxiety and depressionAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire. Score between 0-21 per subscale, higher score indicates severe symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Participation in societyAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured with the USER-Participatie (USER-P) questionnare. Score between 0-100, higher score indicates higher participation in society.

Estimated Cardiorespiratory fitnessAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured with the FitMáx©-Questionnaire. The outcome of this questionnaire is the estimated maximum oxygen uptake expressed in mL/kg/min. Higher score indicates better cardiorespiratory fitness.

Presence of restless leg syndromeAt baseline.

This will be measured with the RLS rating scale questionnaire. Score between 0-28, higher score indicates more severe symptoms of restless leg syndrome.

Presence of insomniaAt baseline.

This will be measured with the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) questionnaire. Score between 0-28, higher score indicates more severe insomnia complaints.

The risk of the presence of obstructive sleep apnoeaAt baseline.

This will be measured with the STOP-bang questionnaire. Score between 0-8, higher score indicates higher risk of obstructive sleep apnoea.

Costs incurred by the patientsAfter 3 months and after 6 months.

This will be measured with the IMTA Medical Consumption Questionnaire (IMCQ) which aims to determine costs within the health care system.

Productivity costsAfter 3 months and after 6 months.

This will be measured with the IMTA Productivity Costs Questionnaire (IPCQ) which aims to determine the cost of productivity losses.

Perceived sleepAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured with the Sleep Consensus Diary for 7 days. The Sleep Consensus Diary consists of questions about the experience of sleep, what time the participant went to sleep, and how often the participant woke up.

DietAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured with an electronic diary. Intake of caffeine and alcohol and timing of the main meal will be measured.

Momentary stressAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured with an electronic diary.

Adherence to the CR treatment and RESST interventionAfter 3 months.

This will be measured by recording the number of rehabilitation components attended, such as courses on nutrition or personal counseling.

Treatment SatisfactionAfter 3 months.

This will be measured with a self-designed questionnaire and consists of questions about the applicability, clarity and logistics of the intervention.

SexAt baseline.

Female / male / other

AgeAt baseline.

Age in years.

Cardiac diagnosisAt baseline.

Cardiac diagnosis as defined by ICD-10 that has resulted in referral to cardiac rehabilitation.

Educational levelAt baseline.

Single-item question (high, middle, or low educated).

Relational statusAt baseline.

Single-item question.

Cardiac risk factorsAt baseline.

Presence of cardiac risk factors (family history, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking prior to event).

Cardiac historyAt baseline.

History of cardiovascular events and diseases.

Medication usageAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

Number of participants using a certain type of prescribed and/or over-the-counter medication.

ComorbidityAt baseline.

Presence of other diseases.

Socioeconomic statusAt baseline.

Socioeconomic status indicated by postal code.

Drug useAt baseline.

Drug use (yes/no) and drug classification.

OriginAt baseline.

Determined by birth country and parents' birth country.

Cortisol levelAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured by taking a hair sample. The amount of cortisol in the hair will be determined in a lab.

Cortisone levelAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured by taking a hair sample. The amount of cortisone in the hair will be determined in a lab.

WeightAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

Weight will be measured with a digital scale in kilograms.

HeightAt baseline.

Height will be measured with a stadiometer in centimeters.

Body Mass Index (BMI)At baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

Weight and height will be combined to report BMI in kg/m\^2.

Blood pressureAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

Blood pressure will be measured with a blood pressure monitor.

Smoking behaviourAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured with a self-designed questionnaire. The outcome of this questionnaire indicates whether a person smokes/has smoked in the past/does not smoke, what sort of tobacco is being smoked and how much the participant smokes.

Muscle strengthAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

Handgrip strength will be measured with a hand dynamometer.

Physical activityAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured with a GENEACTIV accelerometer for 7 days and nights continuously.

Sedentary behaviourAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured with a GENEACTIV accelerometer for 7 days and nights continuously.

Alcohol useAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured with the five-shot questionnaire. Score between 0-7, higher score indicates higher chance of alcohol overuse, misuse, and dependency.

EmploymentAt baseline.

Determined by employment status, and type of job.

Momentary fatigueAt baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months.

This will be measured with an electronic diary.

Current/previous sleep disorder treatmentAt baseline.

Description of current and previous treatment for sleeping disorders.

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

Máxima Medisch Centrum

🇳🇱

Eindhoven, North Brabant, Netherlands

Capri Hartrevalidatie

🇳🇱

The Hague, South Holland, Netherlands

Máxima Medisch Centrum
🇳🇱Eindhoven, North Brabant, Netherlands
Esmée Ooms, MSc
Contact
+31622366387
e.ooms@erasmusmc.nl
Inge van Loon, MSc
Contact
+31622366387
i.g.vanloon@erasmusmc.nl

MedPath

Empowering clinical research with data-driven insights and AI-powered tools.

© 2025 MedPath, Inc. All rights reserved.