Breathing exercises and hydration: a new strategy to keep older adults out of the hospital?
NCT ID NCT07786103
First seen Aug 25, 2026 · Last updated Aug 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot trial tests whether a structured respiratory self-care program, called AIRE, can help adults aged 60 to 80 recover from acute respiratory infections without complications. Participants receive a short education session on hydration, safe activity, warning signs, and simple breathing exercises, then follow the plan for 14 days. The study primarily checks whether the program is feasible and acceptable, while also exploring whether it reduces complications like pneumonia or bronchitis compared to usual care.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- AIRE Comprehensive Respiratory Self-Care Intervention (behavioral: education, breathing exercises, and self-care guidance)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this approach could reduce hospitalizations and serious complications from common respiratory infections in older adults, potentially easing strain on primary care.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study focused on feasibility, not effectiveness. The intervention may not reduce complications, and results may not generalize beyond the specific setting.
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
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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
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About 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Oct 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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60 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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: * Adults of any sex aged 60 to 80 years. * Clinical diagnosis of an ambulatory influenza-like illness, defined as acute-onset cough with fever or a feeling of fever, plus at least one of the following symptoms: muscle aches, sore throat, or headache. Laboratory confirmation of the causative pathogen is not required. * Five days or less since the onset of the first symptom. * Presence of at least one of the following chronic conditions or risk factors: hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, obesity defined as a body mass index of 30 kg/m² or higher, chronic kidney disease, or current smoking. * Regular access to and use of WhatsApp. Exclusion Criteria: * Need for antibiotic treatment at the initial visit because of an evident or suspected bacterial infection. * Cognitive impairment that prevents understanding of the study or intervention. * Cancer under active treatment. * Physical limitations that prevent performance of the breathing exercises. * Hospitalization for any cause within the previous 6 months.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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CESFAM Dr. Agustín Cruz Melo
Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan, 8320000, Chile
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