MedPath

Cardiac Rehabilitation and Coronary Artery Disease

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Coronary Artery Disease
Atherosclerosis
Interventions
Behavioral: Exercise training
Registration Number
NCT06579807
Lead Sponsor
Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia de Laranjeiras
Brief Summary

Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) aged 40-70 years will undergo exercise training (thrice weekly for 12 weeks). A reference group composed of healthy individuals will be included. Evaluations will be conducted at baseline and after the intervention period during two visits. During the first visit, carotid artery thickness will be assessed via ultrasound before and after a cardiopulmonary exercise testing. The second visit will include the evaluation of endothelial function using venous occlusion plethysmography. After this, participants will engage in 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, and blood samples will be collected pre- and post-exercise. Circulating levels of kynurenine pathway (KP) metabolites (Tryptophan, kynurenine, kynurenic acid, and quinolinic acid), pro-inflammatory cytokines, cell adhesion molecules, and lipid profiles will be measured via Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), multiplex essays, and biochemical analysis; respectively.

Detailed Description

Participants and recruitment: In this clinical trial, 28 patients with CAD will be enrolled from the Pedro Ernesto University Hospital (HUPE) and 22 control volunteers without evidence of CAD (CTL) will be randomly recruited from among employees and students at the University of Rio de Janeiro State (UERJ). The groups will be matched by age and habitual physical activity level, assessed by the Baecke questionnaire, which quantifies activities performed at home, work, and leisure (sports).

All participants will receive oral and written instructions regarding the risks and benefits of the study and will provide written informed consent. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of HUPE (CAAE 81718324.3.0000.5259). The study also adheres to SPIRIT 2013 (Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for International Trials).

Study design: Evaluations will be conducted at baseline and after the 12-week intervention period during two visits interspersed by at least 72-hours interval. Outcomes in the CTL group will be assessed only at baseline to provide reference values. Visits will take place at the Physical Activity and Health Promotion Laboratory (LABSAU) and the Clinical and Experimental Research Laboratory on Vascular Biology (BioVasc), always in the morning (8:00 - 11:00 am), in rooms with controlled temperatures between 22°-24°C and relative humidity between 60-70%. Participants will be instructed to avoid physical activity, alcohol, and stimulants 48 hours prior to assessments.

During the first visit, volunteers will undergo a medical history assessment. If eligible, they will read and sign the informed consent form, if they agree to participate. Subsequently, carotid intima-media thickness will be assessed via carotid ultrasound, followed by a cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). Immediately after the test, carotid intima-media thickness will be reassessed.

On the second visit, patients will undergo blood collection after 8 hours of fasting, followed by an assessment of vascular function using venous occlusion plethysmography. Approximately 15 min after a light standardized breakfast, participants will engage in 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, after which blood samples will be collected again.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
50
Inclusion Criteria
  • Eligible CAD patients will be those aged 40 to 70 years, of both sexes, entering the cardiac rehabilitation program at HUPE. CAD will be defined as any acute coronary syndrome, including myocardial infarction with and without ST-segment elevation, and unstable angina (all defined by characteristic histories, electrocardiographic abnormalities, and cardiac enzyme abnormalities), or obstructive CAD diagnosed via coronary angiography (defined as ≥ 50% stenosis of any epicardial coronary artery) in patients with stable angina.
  • Healthy controls: adults aged 40 to 70 years, of both sexes, without CAD evidence.
Exclusion Criteria
  • diagnosis of heart failure, pulmonary disease, Chagas disease, or tuberculosis
  • regular physical exercise practice (≥ 3 days/week for 30 min) over the past 6 months
  • malnutrition (body mass index [BMI] < 18.5 kg/m²)
  • smoking
  • obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²)

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Exercise trainingExercise trainingThe multimodal supervised exercise program will include aerobic, resistance, and flexibility exercises during 12 weeks, performed in 3 weekly sessions lasting 60 minutes each.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Carotid intima-media thicknessBaseline and 12 weeks

The assessment of the intima-media thickness (IMT) of the left and right common carotid arteries will be performed with the patient in the supine position, with the head turned to the side (45°), using a portable ultrasound device (Logiq-e, GE HealthCare, Boston, MA, USA) with a 9 L linear probe (12 MHz).

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Blood biomarkers of kynurenine pathway metabolitesBaseline and 12 weeks

Plasma levels of KP metabolites \[tryptophan (TRP), kynurenine (KYN), quinolinic acid (QUINA), and kynurenic acid (KYNA)\], will be measured using commercially available Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kits.

Blood biomarkers of inflammationBaseline and 12 weeks

Pro-inflammatory cytokines \[interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interferon-gamma (IFN-y)\] will be measured using commercially available Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kits.

Blood biomarkers of endothelial injuryBaseline and 12 weeks

Plasma levels of soluble P-selectin, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) will be assessed using the Human Cardiovascular Disease Panel 2 magnetic kit (EMD Millipore Corporation, MA, USA), with a sensitivity greater than 0.079 ng/ml.

Vascular functionBaseline and 12 weeks

Endothelial-dependent and -independent vascular function will be assessed by venous occlusion plethysmography

Maximal oxygen consumptionBaseline and 12 weeks

Maximal oxygen consumption will be collected breath-by-breath using a silicone mask (Hans Rudolph®, Shawnee, USA) connected to an Ultima CardiO2 metabolic cart (Medical Graphics®, Saint Louis, USA).

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Rio de Janeiro State University

🇧🇷

Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

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