Could pedaling backward help heart and lung patients get stronger?

NCT ID NCT07042750

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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jul 07, 2026 · Last updated Jul 08, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study investigates whether eccentric cycling—where the pedals resist the rider's effort, similar to walking downhill—can improve exercise capacity in people with heart or lung conditions. Unlike normal cycling, eccentric cycling demands less oxygen, which may allow patients to train harder with less strain. The trial compares eccentric cycling added to standard pulmonary rehabilitation against standard care alone in 22 adults with cardiopulmonary disease.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
eccentric cycling exercise
What this could lead to
If it works, eccentric cycling could become a standard part of pulmonary rehab, helping patients exercise more with less strain on the heart and lungs.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study with only 22 participants, so results may not apply to all patients. The benefits seen in previous studies may not hold up in this broader group.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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

22 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

May 2025

Finished

Jul 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

18 to 85 years

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: * Diagnosed with PVD, either PAH or CTEPH via right heart catheterization, according to recent guidelines \[9\] * Diagnosed with a cardiopulmonary disease as indication for a pulmonary rehabilitation * Stable medication for at least 1 month * Age 18years to 85 years * No resting hypoxemia (PaO2 \>7.3 kPa) * Medical indication to prescibe a pulmonary rehabilitation Exclusion Criteria: * Any co-morbidity that limits the patient to participate the full rehabilitation * Enrollments in other trials with active treatments * Language barriers that limits the patient to participate in the rehabilitation

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Klinik Barmelweid

    Barmelweid, 5017, Switzerland

  • Universitätsspital Zürich

    Zurich, 8092, Switzerland

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