Remote Ischaemic Conditioning in Older Adults and Its Effects on Dynamic Cerebral Autoregulation

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying the effects of Remote Ischaemic Conditioning (RIC) on vascular health in older adults aged 65 to 85. RIC involves applying short periods of restricted blood flow to a limb to improve blood vessel function elsewhere in the body. This trial aims to determine whether increasing the intensity of RIC leads to greater improvements in biomarkers such as dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA), which helps regulate brain blood flow and has shown to improve with RIC in younger adults. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive one of three interventions for six weeks: daily RIC sessions, RIC sessions three times per week, or sham RIC sessions three times per week. Each session involves inflating a blood pressure cuff on a limb for four cycles of five minutes at 20 mmHg above systolic blood pressure, followed by five minutes of deflation. The sham group undergoes a similar procedure but with only 20 mmHg inflation. This design compares different RIC doses and a placebo to assess effects on vascular health. Participants will visit the research site at the beginning and end of the six weeks for evaluations including blood pressure measurements, assessments of cerebral autoregulation using ultrasound, and blood sample collection. Researchers will measure the autoregulatory index as the primary outcome and also assess blood pressure and blood plasma markers as secondary outcomes. The study includes monitoring adherence and safety throughout the trial period, with participation lasting about six weeks in total.

Remote Ischaemic Conditioning in the Older Person and Effects on Dynamic Cerebral Autoregulation