Reducing Heat and Air Pollution Exposure to Improve Health in Adults 65 and Older with Hypertension

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating an intervention combining behavioral recommendations and technical measures to reduce heat and air pollution exposure and related health effects in older adults with hypertension. The main focus is to see if this intervention can lower personal ambient temperature and indoor air pollution exposure, and improve abnormal circadian blood pressure patterns in this population. The study compares a control group, a group receiving heat mitigation recommendations, and a group receiving both heat recommendations and continuous use of indoor air cleaners. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three groups no intervention, heat intervention with personal alerts and recommendations delivered via mobile and online tools, or heat and air pollution intervention with alerts plus continuous use of air cleaners with HEPA filters in homes and workplaces. The interventions last for two months, during which participants continue their daily activities while following assigned recommendations. During the study, participants will wear a device for continuous personal ambient temperature monitoring and have core temperature measured using a medical capsule at three time points. Advanced actigraphy will assess blood pressure, oxygen saturation, ECG, and heart rate variability in three repeated assessments. Participants will also provide urine and blood samples for biomarker analysis. Researchers will measure several outcomes including night-time blood pressure dipping, sleep quality, heart rate variability, indoor air pollution levels, and various blood and urine markers throughout the follow-up.

Mitigation of Health Effects in Older Adults With Hypertension by Reducing Exposure to Heat and Air Pollution