Heart rate drug may reveal why exercise gets harder with age
NCT ID NCT07717710
First seen Jul 21, 2026 · Last updated Jul 23, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests whether ivabradine, a medication that slows heart rate without weakening the heart's pumping strength, can help researchers understand how heart rate limits exercise capacity. Healthy younger and older adults will take a single dose of ivabradine before cycling tests to measure heart rate and work rate. The goal is to learn why the heart's ability to pump blood plateaus during exercise, which may explain age-related declines in exercise tolerance.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- ivabradine (a heart-rate-lowering medication)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could clarify how heart rate affects the heart's ability to supply oxygen during exercise, potentially informing treatments for age-related exercise limitations.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase pilot study in healthy volunteers, so results may not apply to people with heart conditions. Side effects like slow heart rate, visual symptoms, and headache are possible.
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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Early phase 1
The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.
- Participants
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About 20 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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Dec 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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19 to 79 years
- 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 males and females aged 19-39 years, and 60-79 years * Engaging in regular aerobic exercise (e.g., running, cycling, swimming, hiking, field, ice, or racquet sports) at least once per week Exclusion Criteria: * History of any cardiovascular condition, including hypertension * Use of any chronic medication * History of any respiratory condition, including asthma * Smoking, including cannabis or vaping in the past year * History of diabetes mellitus, cancer, hepatic, renal or any other chronic illness * Seated blood pressure ≥130/90 or \<100/60 mmHg * Body mass index \<20 or \>32 kg/m2 * Non-sinus rhythm or abnormalities on 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) * Pregnant, breastfeeding, or women of childbearing potential not using appropriate contraception * Current or recent (past year) participation in \>150 minutes per week of moderate-vigorous intensity exercise (to avoid endurance training-related bradycardia) * Any condition that prevents vigorous exercise from being performed safely * Seated resting heart rate \<60 beats per minute * Prolonged QT interval (e.g., long QT syndrome) * Sick sinus syndrome, sino-atrial block or third-degree atrio-ventricular block * Use of strong cytochrome P450 (CYP3A4) inhibitors (e.g., nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, ketoconazole), which can increase ivabradine levels in the blood to potentially unsafe levels * Use of verapamil or diltiazem, which are moderate CYP3A4 inhibitors and also lower heart rate, posing a risk of excessive bradycardia when combined with ivabradine * Lactose intolerance, as ivabradine contains lactose * Known allergy/hypersensitivity to ivabradine or to any ingredient in the formulation or component of the container
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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.
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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SportsCardiologyBC, UBC Hospital
Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 2B5, Canada
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