Early REmote rehabilitation to improve health of the elderly after CARDiac surgery. (RECARD trial). a bi-center, prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded evaluation (PROBE) trial

NCT ID NCT06370611

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 09, 2026 · Last updated Sep 09, 2026

Summary

An increasing number of older patients undergo heart surgery. Despite seemingly successful outcomes, these vulnerable patients may face prolonged decreased functional capacity, reduced self-efficacy, and impaired quality of life after discharge. Early engagement in physical activity and education plays a key role in health and well-being after heart surgery The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of an app-based exercise program and weekly calls from a physiotherapist in the early stages after open heart surgery. Eligible patients will be randomly assigned to either a control group receiving standard care or an intervention group, which will be introduced to an individually tailored exercise program as an addition to standard care. Follow-up is planned with an out-patient visit six weeks after discharge and a telephone interview six months post-surgery. All participants will undergo assessments at enrollment and during follow-up. Physical performance will be evaluated through physical tests. General well-being, quality of life, self-reported physical activity, and cost-effectiveness of the intervention will be assessed through questionnaires. Muscle health will be examined through blood sampling, CT scans, and muscle biopsies. The primary endpoint is the 30-second Chair Stand Test serving as a measurement of physical function.

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Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

118 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

May 2024

Finished

Aug 2026

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

65 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Provision of signed and dated informed consent form * Scheduled first-time heart surgery through median sternotomy * Male or female, aged ≥ 65 years (The age criterion implies the exclusion of women of childbearing potential) Exclusion Criteria: * Medical conditions requiring referral to specialized rehabilitation (e.g., severe heart or lung failure, need for blood pressure monitoring during exercise) * Emergent procedure * Anticipated inability to perform intervention, study assessment procedures, or follow-up * Participation in any other interventional clinical that may interfere with the outcome measures

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Motor Activity

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Aarhus University Hospital

    Aarhus, Denmark, 8200, Denmark

  • Aarlborg University Hospital

    Aalborg, 9000, Denmark

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