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Direct and Cross Effects of Adaptation to Systemic Hyperthermia: Impact on Quality of Life, Neurohormonal and Psychophysiological Human Status

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Hypoxia, Altitude
Exercise Tolerance
Metabolic Disturbance
Quality of Life
Interventions
Device: Placebo Hyperthermic Fitness Treatment
Device: Hyperthermic Fitness Treatment (HFT)
Other: Physical Examination
Other: Assessment of Cardiorespiratory Fitness
Other: Autonomic Balance, Orthostatic and Hypoxic tolerance
Other: Psychological Testing
Other: Measurement of Blood Markers
Registration Number
NCT04089410
Lead Sponsor
I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University
Brief Summary

Life expectancy and quality of human life are important indicator of the sustainable development of the society. At the same time, the physical, functional, emotional and psychological components of the of the quality of life evaluation are subjected to be evaluated objectively and corrected using modern medical and socio-psychological methods. According to a fair number of experts, the arsenal of means for functional rehabilitation and health promotion is limited, and its expansion is only possible on the basis of the principles of adaptation medicine and their translation from experimental research into specific preventive and health-promoting technologies.

The study is aimed at the development in molecular-endocrine, neuro-visceral and psychophysiological complex mechanisms of human long-term adaptation to systemic modern heating device-based hyperthermia for the development of medical technology focused on optimization in physical functioning, neuro-autonomic regulation, psycho-emotional status and stress- resistance as objective characteristics of humans' quality of life in working age.

The novelty of the project is the disclosure of key mechanisms of adaptational direct and cross-effects to the prolonged systemic individually dosed hyperthermia underlying the optimization of stress-resistance, psycho-physiological status and exercise tolerance of practically healthy persons and leading to an increase in the subjectively perceived quality of life.

The discovery of the mechanisms of hyperthermically induced neuroplasticity (in terms of the dynamics of oxidative stress, heat shock proteins and the brain derived neurotrophic factor) will also have a scientific significance, which in the long term prospectives may play a role in the development of technics for the prevention and rehabilitation of age-associated neuro-degenerative processes and diseases.

Detailed Description

Hyperthermic Fitness Treatment (HFT) is proved in many applied and clinical trials to be a helpful tool for enhancing thermal acclimation, physical tolerance and endurance, improving cardiovascular dysfunctions, normalizing metabolic status and body weight in patients with chronic non-infectious diseases and in aged healthy individuals. Clinical effects of hyperthermia acclimation or repeated sauna's sessions were investigated in series of well-designed placebo-controlled studies at different cohorts of Bronchial Asthma (BA), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity (MS-O) patients, qualified professional sportsmen and healthy volunteers.

Effects of sauna bathing and hyperthermic treatments (acclimation to systemic, whole body dosed hyperthermia, which leads to core temperature increase on 2,0-2,5oC) are accurately described in well-controlled medical studies, performed by experienced researchers imposing different protocols (from 1 session lasting 15-20 min, daily 1 week up to 2 sessions per day, 3 weeks).

The generalized result of the most trials suggests adaptation to hyperthermia (sauna bathing sessions) is accompanied by a multi-faceted molecular, cellular, organic and systemic, organismic responses - by progressively increased resistance to thermal stressors, increased bronchial conductivity and pulmonary ventilation, sweating; stimulated activation of neuro-humoral and cardiovascular systems, boosted microcirculation and, as a consequence, providing more efficient transport and utilization of O2 by body tissues, resulting in increase of exercise tolerance, physical activity, normalization of appetite, balancing thermogenesis and heat release.

Mechanisms underlying the described clinical effects are partially connected with increased production of some neurotransmitters, hormones and peptides, among them - Brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), Somatotropin (Human Growth Hormone - HGH), Heat Shock Proteins family as cell signaling pathways inducers etc.

In spite of difference in study design, protocols, and hyperthermic mashines - devices, it is safe to make the conclusion that periodic individually adapted hyperthermic sessions are capable to induce haematological, neuro-humoral, cardiorespiratory and antioxidant adaptation to provide pathogenetic treatment and rehabilitation of patients with chronic non-infectious diseases.

Enhanced stress resistance and improved oxygen transfer/utilization are basic mechanisms whereby the organism increases its resistance to any physical and environmental stressors and to variety of pathogenic factors.

The described Hyperthermic Fitness Treatment (HFT) method is safe, has no significant complications or adverse side effects and is generally very well tolerated by sportsmen, healthy persons and different clinical patients' groups.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
Male
Target Recruitment
67
Inclusion Criteria
  • Outpatients, young healthy volunteers
  • Age > 19 years (20 - 30)
  • Gender: male
  • Healthy state (no chronic noninfectious diseases, documented by medical check-up results, obtained in 1-2 months before, not later), mobility (absence of orthopedic problems), satisfactory level of fitness
  • Ability to perform activities of daily living
  • Ability to attend all treatments and clinical-laboratory measurements
  • Signed informed consent form
Exclusion Criteria
  • Infectious diseases
  • Increased body temperature before any step of the study
  • Individual hyperthermia (sauna) intolerance
  • Any condition which in the opinion of the investigator would make it unsafe or unsuitable for the volunteer to participate in this study e.g. expected survival <1 year
  • Participation in another clinical study with an investigational product within 28 days prior to enrolment or previous randomization to an investigational product in another ongoing clinical study

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Hyperthermic Fitness TreatmentAssessment of Cardiorespiratory FitnessParticipants will fill out study questionnaires. After basic body measurements subjects will undergo the HFT.
Attenuated heatingPlacebo Hyperthermic Fitness TreatmentParticipants will fill out study questionnaires. After basic body measurements subjects will undergo the placebo-HFT.
Attenuated heatingPsychological TestingParticipants will fill out study questionnaires. After basic body measurements subjects will undergo the placebo-HFT.
Hyperthermic Fitness TreatmentMeasurement of Blood MarkersParticipants will fill out study questionnaires. After basic body measurements subjects will undergo the HFT.
Attenuated heatingAssessment of Cardiorespiratory FitnessParticipants will fill out study questionnaires. After basic body measurements subjects will undergo the placebo-HFT.
Hyperthermic Fitness TreatmentHyperthermic Fitness Treatment (HFT)Participants will fill out study questionnaires. After basic body measurements subjects will undergo the HFT.
Hyperthermic Fitness TreatmentPhysical ExaminationParticipants will fill out study questionnaires. After basic body measurements subjects will undergo the HFT.
Hyperthermic Fitness TreatmentAutonomic Balance, Orthostatic and Hypoxic toleranceParticipants will fill out study questionnaires. After basic body measurements subjects will undergo the HFT.
Hyperthermic Fitness TreatmentPsychological TestingParticipants will fill out study questionnaires. After basic body measurements subjects will undergo the HFT.
Attenuated heatingMeasurement of Blood MarkersParticipants will fill out study questionnaires. After basic body measurements subjects will undergo the placebo-HFT.
Attenuated heatingPhysical ExaminationParticipants will fill out study questionnaires. After basic body measurements subjects will undergo the placebo-HFT.
Attenuated heatingAutonomic Balance, Orthostatic and Hypoxic toleranceParticipants will fill out study questionnaires. After basic body measurements subjects will undergo the placebo-HFT.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Measurement of Blood MarkersWeek 13

Serum BDNF, HGH, HSPs (60, 70, 90), Irisin concentrations

Psychological stress tolerance: Sleep QualityWeek 13

Assessment of Sleep Quality(The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index)

Change in Cardiopulmonary Exercise TestWeek 13

An assessment of exercise tolerance and cardiorespiratory fitness (ET, CRF) is carried out by Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test - CPET) with the use of Fitmate MED gas analyzer (COSMED, Italy) and an Intertrack treadmill (Shiller, Switzerland).

Psychological stress tolerance: Quality of LifeWeek 13

We assessed QoL using the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36), which is a self-completed quantity of health-related QoL. This questionnaire comprises eight domains covering physical functioning, vitality, role-physical, social functioning, bodily pain, role-emotional, general health and mental health. A high score indicates a better QoL characteristic. Furthermore, there are two summary scores which summarize two domains: first the Mental Component Summary and second the Physical Component Summary.

Psychological stress tolerance: Anxiety levelWeek 13

Assessment of Anxiety level (State and Trait Anxiety Scales developed by Ch. Spielberger)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Hearth rateUp to week 13

Resting hearth rate (HR) values are measured twice in supine position.

Blood pressureUp to week 13

Systolic and Diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) values are measured twice in supine position.

Body Mass IndexChange between baseline and week 13

Body mass (BM) in kilograms and height in meters are measured (Seca 888 scale, Hamburg, Germany) to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI, in kg/m2). Metabolic rate at rest is measured in supine position by Fitmate MED gas analyzer (COSMED, Italy).

Metabolic rateChange between baseline and week 13

Metabolic rate at rest is measured in supine position by Fitmate MED gas analyzer (COSMED, Italy).

Body massUp to week 13

Body mass is measured in kilograms

Height1 week

Height is measured in meters

Autonomic Balance, Orthostatic and Hypoxic tolerance.Change between baseline and week 13

For the assessment of participants' autonomic regulation Heart Rate Variability (HRV) analysis is selected.Briefly, the HRV test relied on a 5-min RR interval (time in milliseconds between two R waves of the electrocardiogram complex) recorded at rest for 5 min supine (SU) followed of 5 min resting time. Measurement of the interval duration between two R waves of the cardiac electrical activity is performed with a HR monitor (VNS-Spectrum hardware and software complex (Neurosoft Company, Ivanovo, Russia).

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Students health and quality of life laboratory

🇷🇺

Moscow, Russian Federation

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