The Effects of Cardiac Rehabilitation Programme in Hypertensive Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

NCT ID: NCT06295848

Last Updated: 2024-03-28

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

40 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-12-15

Study Completion Date

2024-06-15

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

The aim of this study is to investigate the beneficial impacts of the 6-week standardized CR program applied to hypertensive RA patients whose disease activity is under control with regular pharmacological treatment.

Subjects will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: 1.) standard of care (SOC) treatment or 2.) SOC plus a 6 week CR program.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic auto-immune disease characterized by inflammation and structural damage in synovial joints, but also has extra-articular involvements such as the cardiovascular system. RA patients have higher mortality rates than the general population, and approximately half of premature deaths are due to cardiovascular comorbidities. Traditional risk factors, especially hypertension (HTN), play a key role in the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

In chronic inflammatory diseases such as RA, autoimmunity is a cause of HTN as well as a result of physical damage to the vascular wall. Mild blood pressure elevation caused by specific HTN triggers such as salt retention, angiotensin-II or genetic susceptibility leads to neoantigen release through tissue damage. These neoantigens are recognized by antigen-presenting cells and lead to the differentiation of CD4+ naïve-T lymphocytes into Th1 and Th17 cells. IL-17 and IFN-γ expression causes local inflammation in the vascular wall, endothelial dysfunction, and arterial stiffness. Thus, HTN causes an increase in CVD risk through a common pathogenesis mechanism with RA.

European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) recommendations emphasize that rheumatologists should be responsible for CVD risk management in RA. However, both RA and HTN treatment is generally administered pharmacologically without focusing on CVD risk. Patients may be recommended regular exercise and lifestyle changes according to EULAR recommendation guide for CVD risk management. One possible intervention that could be used to decrease CVD risk caused by both diseases is cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program in which regular exercise is one of the main components. But RA patients, especially those with cardiovascular comorbidities, are rarely referred to the CR program.

This study will help to clarify the effects of the CR program added to the pharmacological treatment of these patients on cardiovascular mortality risk (Framingham risk score and QRISK-3 score), blood pressure (24-Hour holter monitoring), disease activity (DAS28-CRP), aerobic capacity (VO2max), quality of life (36-Item Short Form Survey) and psychological state (Beck depression inventory).

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Cardiac Rehabilitation Rheumatoid Arthritis Hypertension

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Investigators

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Cardiac Rehabilitation

The CR group will receive training for CVD and HT once a week, along with a rehabilitation program consisting of aerobic, resistance, flexibility and stretching exercises 3 days a week for 6 weeks.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Exercise

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

An individual program will be organized for each patient according to the exercise test result. Since the patients have both arthritis and HTN, aerobic exercises will be given at moderate intensity (40-60% VO2 reserve) according to ACMS recommendations. Xrcise Runner Med treadmill and Xrcise Care 2.5.8.3 software will be used for aerobic exercises. Resistant exercises will be given under the supervision of a physiotherapist, calculating 1 repetitation maximum (1-RM) in the main muscle groups.Patients will perform isotonic exercises with 3 sets of 15 repetitions with a resistance of 60% of 1-RM. The education sessions will be conducted by a multidisciplinary team of health professionals (nurse, physiotherapist and dietician) under the leadership of a clinician experienced in CR. Education topics will consist of 60-minute sessions covering heart-healthy eating, setting health-related goal, exercise, diet, healthy weight loss, smoking cessation, and stress/coping.

Control

Control group will receive treatment for their RA that is considered standard of care treatment (e.g. pharmacotherapy), but will not be participated in the CR program.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Exercise

An individual program will be organized for each patient according to the exercise test result. Since the patients have both arthritis and HTN, aerobic exercises will be given at moderate intensity (40-60% VO2 reserve) according to ACMS recommendations. Xrcise Runner Med treadmill and Xrcise Care 2.5.8.3 software will be used for aerobic exercises. Resistant exercises will be given under the supervision of a physiotherapist, calculating 1 repetitation maximum (1-RM) in the main muscle groups.Patients will perform isotonic exercises with 3 sets of 15 repetitions with a resistance of 60% of 1-RM. The education sessions will be conducted by a multidisciplinary team of health professionals (nurse, physiotherapist and dietician) under the leadership of a clinician experienced in CR. Education topics will consist of 60-minute sessions covering heart-healthy eating, setting health-related goal, exercise, diet, healthy weight loss, smoking cessation, and stress/coping.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

1. Patients diagnosed with RA according to ACR/EULAR 2010 criteria
2. Taking regular treatment for at least 1 month according to ACR/EULAR guidelines
3. Patients diagnosed with HT according to the 2018 European Society of Hypertension and European Society of Cardiology (ESH/ESC) guideline

Exclusion Criteria

1. Refusing to participate in the program
2. Severe mental disorder
3. Neurological disease or deformity in the lower extremity that would prevent the patient from using the treadmill.
4. High-risk unstable angina and all acute cardiac diseases (acute myocardial infarction, acute endocarditis, myocarditis or pericarditis)
5. Uncontrolled HT, Diabetes, cardiac arrhythmia and heart failure
6. Symptomatic severe aortic stenosis
7. Acute pulmonary embolism or pulmonary infarction and severe pulmonary hypertension
Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Kayseri City Hospital

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Havva Talay Çalış

Professor Doctor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Serap TOMRUK SÜTBEYAZ, PROFESSOR

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

KAYSERİ CITY HOSPITAL

Abdurrahman KUTLUCA, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Health Sciences University, Kayseri Medical Faculty

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Health Sciences University, Kayseri Medicine Faculty

Kayseri, Kocasinan, Turkey (Türkiye)

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Turkey (Türkiye)

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

HAVVA TALAY ÇALIŞ, PROFESSOR

Role: CONTACT

+905326874541

Abdurrahman Kutluca, MD

Role: CONTACT

00905416064166

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

HAVVA TALAY ÇALIŞ, PROFESSOR

Role: primary

+905326874541

PROFESSOR

Role: backup

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Chauhan K, Jandu JS, Brent LH, Al-Dhahir MA. Rheumatoid Arthritis. 2023 May 25. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441999/

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28723028 (View on PubMed)

Gibofsky A. Epidemiology, pathophysiology, and diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis: A Synopsis. Am J Manag Care. 2014 May;20(7 Suppl):S128-35.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25180621 (View on PubMed)

Almutairi K, Nossent J, Preen D, Keen H, Inderjeeth C. The global prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis based on a systematic review. Rheumatol Int. 2021 May;41(5):863-877. doi: 10.1007/s00296-020-04731-0. Epub 2020 Nov 11.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33175207 (View on PubMed)

Avina-Zubieta JA, Choi HK, Sadatsafavi M, Etminan M, Esdaile JM, Lacaille D. Risk of cardiovascular mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a meta-analysis of observational studies. Arthritis Rheum. 2008 Dec 15;59(12):1690-7. doi: 10.1002/art.24092.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19035419 (View on PubMed)

Sokka T, Abelson B, Pincus T. Mortality in rheumatoid arthritis: 2008 update. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2008 Sep-Oct;26(5 Suppl 51):S35-61.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 19026144 (View on PubMed)

Hadwen B, Stranges S, Barra L. Risk factors for hypertension in rheumatoid arthritis patients-A systematic review. Autoimmun Rev. 2021 Apr;20(4):102786. doi: 10.1016/j.autrev.2021.102786. Epub 2021 Feb 18.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33609791 (View on PubMed)

Anyfanti P, Gkaliagkousi E, Triantafyllou A, Koletsos N, Gavriilaki E, Galanopoulou V, Aslanidis S, Douma S. Hypertension in rheumatic diseases: prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control rates according to current hypertension guidelines. J Hum Hypertens. 2021 May;35(5):419-427. doi: 10.1038/s41371-020-0348-y. Epub 2020 May 7.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32382031 (View on PubMed)

Jagpal A, Navarro-Millan I. Cardiovascular co-morbidity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a narrative review of risk factors, cardiovascular risk assessment and treatment. BMC Rheumatol. 2018 Apr 11;2:10. doi: 10.1186/s41927-018-0014-y. eCollection 2018.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30886961 (View on PubMed)

Panoulas VF, Metsios GS, Pace AV, John H, Treharne GJ, Banks MJ, Kitas GD. Hypertension in rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2008 Sep;47(9):1286-98. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/ken159. Epub 2008 May 8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 18467370 (View on PubMed)

Sahin AA, Ozben B, Sunbul M, Yagci I, Sayar N, Cincin A, Gurel E, Tigen K, Basaran Y. The effect of cardiac rehabilitation on blood pressure, and on left atrial and ventricular functions in hypertensive patients. J Clin Ultrasound. 2020 Dec 1:e22956. doi: 10.1002/jcu.22956. Online ahead of print.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33289108 (View on PubMed)

Whelton SP, Chin A, Xin X, He J. Effect of aerobic exercise on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials. Ann Intern Med. 2002 Apr 2;136(7):493-503. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-136-7-200204020-00006.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11926784 (View on PubMed)

Agca R, Heslinga SC, Rollefstad S, Heslinga M, McInnes IB, Peters MJ, Kvien TK, Dougados M, Radner H, Atzeni F, Primdahl J, Sodergren A, Wallberg Jonsson S, van Rompay J, Zabalan C, Pedersen TR, Jacobsson L, de Vlam K, Gonzalez-Gay MA, Semb AG, Kitas GD, Smulders YM, Szekanecz Z, Sattar N, Symmons DP, Nurmohamed MT. EULAR recommendations for cardiovascular disease risk management in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other forms of inflammatory joint disorders: 2015/2016 update. Ann Rheum Dis. 2017 Jan;76(1):17-28. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-209775. Epub 2016 Oct 3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27697765 (View on PubMed)

Metsios GS, Stavropoulos-Kalinoglou A, Veldhuijzen van Zanten JJ, Treharne GJ, Panoulas VF, Douglas KM, Koutedakis Y, Kitas GD. Rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease and physical exercise: a systematic review. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2008 Mar;47(3):239-48. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kem260. Epub 2007 Nov 28.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 18045810 (View on PubMed)

Peynirci Cersit H, Yagci I, Cersit S. The improvement in aerobic capacity, disease activity, and function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis following cardiac rehabilitation program: A single-center, controlled study. Turk J Phys Med Rehabil. 2019 Apr 26;66(2):121-133. doi: 10.5606/tftrd.2020.3250. eCollection 2020 Jun.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32760888 (View on PubMed)

Tessler J, Ahmed I, Bordoni B. Cardiac Rehabilitation. 2025 Mar 28. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537196/

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30725881 (View on PubMed)

Balady GJ, Ades PA, Comoss P, Limacher M, Pina IL, Southard D, Williams MA, Bazzarre T. Core components of cardiac rehabilitation/secondary prevention programs: A statement for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association and the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Writing Group. Circulation. 2000 Aug 29;102(9):1069-73. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.102.9.1069. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 10961975 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

KayseriCH005

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

ICF in Takayasu Arteritis
NCT06289738 COMPLETED NA