Short Walks for COPD

(COPD Trial)

Overseen By Neil Eves, PhD

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of British Columbia

Must not be taking: Anticoagulants

Disqualifiers: Exercise training, Thrombosis, Cardiac, Diabetes, Musculoskeletal, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 5

20 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if short walks can improve blood vessel health in people with COPD, a lung condition that makes breathing difficult. Researchers seek to understand whether sitting for 3 hours straight harms blood vessels more than sitting interrupted by 5-minute walks every hour. The study involves two groups: one sits for 3 hours, while the other takes short walks during the sitting period. Candidates for this trial include individuals with stable moderate-to-severe COPD who haven't smoked for over 6 months and aren't currently in structured exercise programs. As an unphased trial, this study allows participants to contribute to valuable research that could enhance daily life for those with COPD.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications, but you cannot participate if you are on anticoagulant medication.

What prior data suggests that this method is safe for individuals with COPD?

Research shows that short walks are generally safe for people with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Studies have found that walking more each day can lower the risk of sudden symptom flare-ups and may even reduce the chance of early death. This suggests that taking short walks instead of sitting for long periods might not only be safe but also beneficial for health. No specific reports of negative side effects from these short walks exist. Therefore, taking a few minutes to walk every hour is both safe and potentially beneficial for blood vessels. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about microdoses of activity for COPD because this approach shifts the focus from traditional medication to simple lifestyle changes. Unlike standard treatments like bronchodilators and corticosteroids, which primarily rely on drugs to manage symptoms, this method involves breaking up prolonged sitting with short, 5-minute walking sessions. This novel approach could potentially improve COPD symptoms by increasing physical activity levels with minimal time commitment, providing a non-pharmacological way to enhance quality of life for patients.

What evidence suggests that microdoses of activity are effective for COPD?

Research has shown that regular physical activity greatly benefits people with COPD. Studies have found that walking more each day links to a lower risk of severe flare-ups and death in those with COPD. In this trial, participants in the experimental arm will take short walking breaks during long periods of sitting, which may help maintain healthy blood vessels. The GOLD guidelines, important recommendations for managing COPD, also support regular physical activity because it aids breathing, improves health, and enhances quality of life. Therefore, breaking up sitting time with short walks, as tested in this trial, could be a simple and effective way to improve heart and lung health in people with COPD. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for non-smoking individuals with stable moderate-to-severe COPD who haven't smoked in over 6 months. Participants should have a specific level of lung function and not be on anticoagulants, diabetic, or have musculoskeletal issues that limit physical activity. They shouldn't have severe heart or brain blood vessel disease or a history of deep vein thrombosis.

Inclusion Criteria

I have COPD, haven't smoked for over 6 months, and haven't had a flare-up in over 6 weeks.

Exclusion Criteria

I have diabetes.

Engaging in structured exercise training or pulmonary rehabilitation.

I am currently taking blood thinner medication.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Baseline Assessment

Initial assessment including pulmonary function test and distribution of accelerometer to measure habitual physical activity levels

1 day

1 visit (in-person)

Experimental Trials

Participants undergo two randomized conditions: 3 hours of prolonged sitting and 3 hours of sitting with micro-doses of physical activity

2 weeks

2 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in blood pressure and vascular health after experimental trials

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Microdoses of activity

Trial Overview

The study looks at the effects of sitting still for three hours versus breaking up this time with short walking breaks every hour on blood vessel health in people with COPD. The goal is to see if these micro-doses of activity can help maintain healthy blood vessels.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Microdoses of Activity Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

5-min bouts of walking will break up 3 hours of sitting at minutes 30, 90 and 150.

Group II: Control Active Control 1 Intervention

Prolonged sitting (3 hours)

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of British Columbia

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,506

Recruited

2,528,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A 2-week intervention involving regular phone calls successfully increased daily activity levels in 21 patients with stable severe COPD, leading to significant improvements in exercise capacity as measured by the 6-minute walking distance (6MWD).

The increase in activity was associated with enhanced quality of life scores, demonstrating that motivational support can effectively boost both physical activity and overall well-being in patients with severe COPD.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Intervention by phone calls raises domiciliary activity and exercise capacity in patients with severe COPD. Wewel, AR., Gellermann, I., Schwertfeger, I., et al.[2007]

A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on exercise training in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) found a small but significant increase in daily physical activity after at least 4 weeks of supervised exercise training.

Despite the overall positive effect, the quality of the studies was variable, with no randomized controlled trials meeting the criteria, indicating that while exercise can help improve physical activity in COPD patients, more rigorous research is needed.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Does exercise training change physical activity in people with COPD? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Cindy Ng, LW., Mackney, J., Jenkins, S., et al.[2022]

Citations

1.

clinicaltrials.gov

clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05553223

Micro-doses of Physical Activity for COPD

The aim of the proposed study is to examine whether regular microdoses of low intensity physical activity (PA) can reduce the vascular dysfunction and adverse ...

2.

trialfinder.panfoundation.org

trialfinder.panfoundation.org/en-US/trial/listing/373378

Micro-doses of Physical Activity for COPD

It is hypothesized that blood vessel health will be worse after 3 hours of sitting compared to when the sitting is broken up by short bouts of ...

3.

clinicaltrials.gov

clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02099799

The Effect of Physical Activity Promotion on Short and Long ...

A higher daily step count, when directly measured, is associated with lower risk of acute exacerbations (AEs) and mortality in COPD, independent of lung ...

4.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9354440/

Physical activity and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

The GOLD guidelines recommend regular physical activity for all patients with COPD, which significantly improves dyspnea, health status, and ...

5.

clinconnect.io

clinconnect.io/trials/NCT05553223

Micro-doses of Physical Activity for COPD (NCT05553223)

This clinical trial is studying how short breaks of walking can help improve blood vessel health in people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).