Handgrip Exercise Training and CKD

NCT ID: NCT07094906

Last Updated: 2025-12-11

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 50 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2026-01-31
• Study Completion Date: 2027-12-31

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to find out if regular handgrip exercise performed at home can improve blood pressure at rest and during exercise in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

This study is also intended to understand what causes an increase in blood pressure at rest and during exercise (i.e., increased adrenaline levels, or decreased ability of blood vessels to dilate). Patients with CKD will be recruited from primary care, Nephrology and other subspecialty Clinics throughout the Emory Healthcare System. Participants will attend 4 visits of 2-3 hours and 3 visits of 1-2 hours. The home exercise training will last for 8 weeks.

Detailed Description

The goal of this study is to learn more about if exercising the grip strength at home can improve blood pressure control. Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) have a much higher risk of cardiovascular problems than healthy people. Early results show that patients with CKD have issues controlling their blood pressure. The investigators think that this type of exercise, where you use a grip device to squeeze, might help improve health by lowering blood pressure. Even though the American Heart Association recommends this kind of exercise, not many people are using it. The study population will consist of 50 patients with CKD in stages III and IV. They will do the grip exercise three times a week at home, squeezing a grip device four times for 2 minutes with each hand. The research team will also check their flight-or-flight control and artery health to see how this exercise training might help. The investigators will collect some blood samples to understand what changes are happening in their bodies. Patients with CKD will attend 4 visits of 2-3 hours and 3 visits of 1-2 hours. The home exercise training will last for 8 weeks. Therefore, the approximate study duration is around 12 weeks. Patients with CKD will be recruited from primary care, Nephrology and other subspecialty Clinics throughout the Emory Healthcare System. No bank for specimens or data will be maintained. The informed consent process will occur in-person. This study will help to find new ways to improve CKD cardiovascular health.

Conditions

Chronic Kidney Diseases

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Isometric Handgrip Training

The intervention is an 8-week isometric handgrip training protocol that consists of handgrip exercises performed by the participant at home, with a frequency of three sessions per week. Participants will log their exercise times as well as their perceived rate of exertion and recovery status throughout the 8 weeks.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Isometric handgrip exercise training

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) will be assessed first in both hands using a hand dynamometer with a digital display (Handexer HFEH20); the participant squeezes the hand dynamometer as hard as they can for 3 to 5 attempts to obtain the MVC. The intervention is an 8- week training protocol that consists of handgrip exercises performed by the participant at home. Each cycle of sustained handgrip exercise consists of sustained squeezing of the hand dynamometer at 30% of MVC for 2 minutes (i.e. isometric) followed by 1 minute of rest.

Sham Training

The intervention is an 8-week sham training protocol that consists of handgrip exercises performed by the participant at home, with a frequency of three sessions per week.

Participants will log their exercise times as well as recovery status and training loads (borg scale) throughout the 8 weeks of intervention.

Group Type: SHAM_COMPARATOR

Sham Training

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Each cycle of sustained handgrip exercise consists of sustained squeezing of the hand dynamometer at 3 - 5% of MVC rather than 30%.

Interventions

Isometric handgrip exercise training

Maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) will be assessed first in both hands using a hand dynamometer with a digital display (Handexer HFEH20); the participant squeezes the hand dynamometer as hard as they can for 3 to 5 attempts to obtain the MVC. The intervention is an 8- week training protocol that consists of handgrip exercises performed by the participant at home. Each cycle of sustained handgrip exercise consists of sustained squeezing of the hand dynamometer at 30% of MVC for 2 minutes (i.e. isometric) followed by 1 minute of rest.

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Sham Training

Each cycle of sustained handgrip exercise consists of sustained squeezing of the hand dynamometer at 3 - 5% of MVC rather than 30%.

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Other Intervention Names

IHT

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients with CKD (Stages IIIa and IV),
• Ages 45-85 years who do not regularly exercise (defined as exercising less than 20 minutes twice per week), willing and able to cooperate with the protocol.
• CKD Stages III and IV will be defined as reduction in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) to 15-59 cc/minute as calculated by the modified CKD-EPI equations.
• Patients with CKD must have stable renal function (no greater than a 20% reduction in eGFR over the prior 3 months).

Exclusion Criteria

• Severe CKD (eGFR<15 cc/minute)
• Metabolic alkalosis (serum bicarbonate > 28 meq/L)
• Ongoing drug or alcohol abuse
• Diabetic neuropathy
• Any serious systemic disease that might influence survival
• Severe anemia with hgb level <10 g/dL
• Clinical evidence of congestive heart failure or ejection fraction below 35%, symptomatic heart disease determined by prior electrocardiogram, stress test, and/or history, treatment with central alpha agonists (clonidine)
• Uncontrolled hypertension with BP greater than 170/100 mm Hg
• Low blood pressure with BP less than 100/50
• Pregnancy or plans to become pregnant
• Current treatment with MAO inhibitors
• Inability to perform handgrip exercise

• Minimum Eligible Age: 45 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 85 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

American Heart Association

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Emory University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Jeanie Park

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Jeanie Park, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Emory University

Locations

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Jeanie Park, MD

Role: CONTACT

jeanie.park@emory.edu

404-727-1386

Fatima Kamal

Role: CONTACT

fatima.kamal@emory.edu

404-727-3717

Facility Contacts

Jeanie Park, MD

Role: primary

jeanie.park@emory.edu

404-727-1386

Fatima Kamal

Role: backup

404-727-3717

Other Identifiers

STUDY00009157

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id