Actively Recruiting
IEEM-Heat and Heart Failure Study Evaluating Cooling Methods to Reduce Heat Stress in Patients With Congestive Heart Failure
Led by University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center · Updated on 2026-05-26
88
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
N/A
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Researchers are studying how increasing skin wetness to promote cooling affects core body temperature and heart function during heat wave conditions in people with congestive heart failure (CHF) and healthy individuals. The study evaluates whether wearing a water-saturated T-shirt or having skin sprayed with water can reduce the rise in core temperature and cardiac stress caused by heat. This research is sponsored by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and compares responses between CHF patients and healthy controls. Participants will undergo three different heat exposure sessions in random order: a control trial with no cooling, a skin-wetting trial where water is sprayed periodically, and a trial wearing a water-saturated T-shirt. Each session simulates a hot and dry heat wave lasting approximately 210 minutes. During these sessions, the study will measure skin and core temperatures, heart rate, cardiac output, and other heart function indicators to assess the effects of the cooling methods. Throughout the study, participants will be monitored closely with medical tests including temperature measurements, heart rate tracking, and echocardiograms. Researchers will evaluate changes before and after each heat exposure to determine how the cooling approaches impact body temperature and cardiac stress. The study aims to provide detailed information on managing heat exposure in people with heart failure. Participation involves multiple heat exposure sessions with cardiovascular assessments and lasts for the duration of the study period until 2030.
CONDITIONS
Brief Title
IEEM-Heat and Heart Failure
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Participants must be 45 years or older.
- Healthy control participants must have no significant medical problems and a normal resting electrocardiogram.
- Participants with congestive heart failure must have a diagnosis classified as New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II or III.
- Participants must be able to participate in heat exposure sessions as per study protocol.
You will not qualify if you...
- Known heart disease or chronic medical conditions requiring regular treatment, including cancer, diabetes, neurological diseases, uncontrolled hypertension, or lung disease (for healthy controls).
- Current smokers or those who regularly smoked within the past 12 months.
- Subjects who cannot be age and gender matched to a participant in the heart failure group (for controls).
- Participants without confirmed NYHA class II or III heart failure diagnosis (for CHF group).
- Presence of left bundle branch block on ECG.
- Patients on anticoagulant therapy.
- Severe valvular or congenital heart disease, acute myocarditis, NYHA Class IV heart failure, or manifest/provocable ischemic heart disease.
- Participants with cancer, diabetes, neurological disease, lung disease, or uncontrolled hypertension (for CHF group).
AI-Screening
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Your Study Journey
Duration - 2 to 4 weeks
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial.
1 visit (in-person)
Duration - Approximately 210 minutes per heat exposure session
Participants undergo different heat exposure sessions including a control trial without cooling, wearing a water-saturated T-shirt, and periodic skin-wetting during heat exposure to evaluate cooling methods.
Multiple heat exposure sessions with assessments before and after each session
Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine - Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas
Dallas, Texas, United States, 75231
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
C
Craig Crandall, PhD
R
Rachel Cottle, PhD
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
CROSSOVER
Primary Purpose
PREVENTION
Number of Arms
2
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