Can a puff of oxygen during exercise ease breathlessness for IPF patients?

NCT ID NCT03688334

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: George Papanicolaou Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study looked at whether giving extra oxygen (40%) during exercise helps people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) who do not have low oxygen at rest but do get low oxygen when active. Fifteen stable IPF patients completed exercise tests while breathing either oxygen or medical air (sham). The researchers measured exercise duration, breathlessness, fatigue, and oxygen levels in the brain and muscles.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: oxygen supplementation (40%)
What this could lead to: If it works, this could show that using oxygen during exercise helps people with IPF feel less breathless and exercise longer.
What could go wrong: This is a very small, early study with only 15 people. The results may not apply to all IPF patients, and the benefit may be small or not meaningful.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

As listed by the trial registrant

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

IDIOPATHIC PULMONARY FIBROSIS

Contacts and locations

Locations

"G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital

Thessaloniki, 57010, Greece

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