Can extreme heat starve the aging heart of blood?
NCT ID NCT06842784
First seen Jul 30, 2026 · Last updated Jul 31, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study investigates whether extreme heat reduces blood flow to the heart more in older adults than in young adults. Healthy volunteers aged 18–35 or 65+ will sit in a 44°C room for three hours while researchers measure heart blood flow using ultrasound. The goal is to understand why older people are more likely to have heart attacks during heat waves.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- ambient heat stress (3 hours at 44°C, 20% humidity)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could explain why older adults face higher heart risks during heat waves and point toward protective strategies.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage observational study with only 24 participants, so findings may not apply broadly. Heat exposure carries risks of dehydration and heat-related illness.
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.
- Participants
-
About 24 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2025
- Expected to finish
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Feb 2027
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.
Who is studied
The study population will be healthy younger and older individuals identified from the general population.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: * Healthy male and female individuals * 18-35 years or 65+ years of age * Free of any underlying moderate to serious medical conditions Exclusion Criteria: * Known heart disease; other chronic medical conditions requiring regular medical therapy including cancer, diabetes, neurological diseases, uncontrolled hypertension, and uncontrolled hypercholesterolemia. * Taking of any medications (such as beta blockers and non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers) that have known influences on either cardiac function or sweating responses. * Abnormalities detected on routine screening. * Current smokers, as well as individuals who regularly smoked within the past 3 years. * Body mass index of greater than 30 kg/m\^2 * Pregnant individuals
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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
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Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas
Dallas, Texas, 75231, United States
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