NCT03644524: CMH

Heat Therapy and Cardiometabolic Health in Obese Women

Completed NA Last updated 23 August 2018

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Heat therapy in Obesity in 20 participants. Completed in 1 July 2018.

Timeline

8 September 2015

Primary endpoint
30 April 2018

1 July 2018

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	University of Oregon
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	non randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	single
Primary purpose	prevention
Enrollment	20
Start date	8 September 2015
Primary completion	30 April 2018
Estimated completion	1 July 2018
Sites	1 location across United States

Drugs / interventions tested

• Heat therapy

Conditions studied

• Obesity — all drugs for Obesity →
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome — all drugs for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome →
• Prehypertension — all drugs for Prehypertension →
• PreDiabetes — all drugs for PreDiabetes →

Sponsor

University of Oregon

Who can join

Adults 18 to 40, female only, with Obesity or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

Traditional medical treatments are often based on research done exclusively in males, and recent research efforts in the physiology community have highlighted critical sex differences in disease presentation and progression. For example, the relative risk of fatal heart disease is 50% greater in obese, diabetic women as compared to their male counterparts, and women appear to respond differently to lifestyle interventions such as exercise compared with men. Chronic passive heat exposure (hot tub use) provides alternative or supplemental therapeutic potential for improving cardiovascular and metabolic health in obese women. In addition, passive heat exposure may offer specific cellular protection from stresses like a lack of blood flow (ischemia), which is the primary cause of fatal coronary heart disease. This study is investigating the possible cardiovascular and metabolic health benefits of chronic passive heat exposure, and whether regular hot tub use (3-4 days per week for 8-10 weeks) may reduce obese womens' cardiometabolic risk. The investigators are examining cardiovascular health through blood pressure, blood vessel stiffness, sympathetic ('fight or flight') activity, and responsiveness to stresses like increased or decreased blood flow. The investigators are also examining metabolic health through an oral glucose tolerance test and a subcutaneous fat biopsy. The goal of this research is to develop a therapy targeted toward the specific health needs and complications of obese women, in an effort to improve cardiovascular and metabolic health and provide therapeutic alternatives in this high-risk population.

Publications & conference data

2 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

1. Heat therapy reduces sympathetic activity and improves cardiovascular risk profile in women who are obese with polycystic ovary syndrome.
   Ely BR, Francisco MA, Halliwill JR, Bryan SD, et al · · 2019 · cited 49× · PMID 31483156 · DOI 10.1152/ajpregu.00078.2019
2. Heat therapy improves glucose tolerance and adipose tissue insulin signaling in polycystic ovary syndrome.
   Ely BR, Clayton ZS, McCurdy CE, Pfeiffer J, et al · · 2019 · cited 47× · PMID 31136202 · DOI 10.1152/ajpendo.00549.2018