Could a red light boost blood flow in leg arteries?
NCT ID NCT03203239
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study is testing whether shining a red light (670 nm) on the calf muscle for 5 minutes can increase blood flow in people with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Forty adults with PAD will receive the light treatment and an ultrasound contrast injection to measure blood flow. Two blood samples will also be taken to check for nitric oxide, a molecule that helps blood vessels widen. The goal is to see if light can trigger vasodilation, which might lead to new ways to ease leg pain during walking.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Red light (670 nm) and octafluoropropane (Definity) contrast agent
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple light-based treatment to improve blood flow in people with peripheral artery disease.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early study with only 40 people. It is designed to measure blood flow changes, not to treat symptoms, so any benefit is uncertain.
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.
- Started
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Jan 2018
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2028
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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18 to 85 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: * Participants will be subjects between the ages of 18 and 85 who have been diagnosed with peripheral artery disease. Men and women will be recruited for participation. All ethnicities will be included in this study. Diagnosis of peripheral artery disease is defined as an Ankle Brachial index of \<0.9 or greater than 1.1 either at rest or during treadmill exercise. Exclusion Criteria: * Exclusionary criteria include age under 18 years and over 85 years, those who are unable to understand the consent process , those who cannot read or speak English, active pregnancy, hypersensitivity to perflutren contrast agents, pulmonary hypertension, active illicit drug use, untreated blood pressure over 160/95, sickle cell disease, or a history of intracardiac shunt. Additional exclusion criteria neurological diseases such as spinal stenosis, unspecified pain disorders, and any uncontrolled medical conditions.
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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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Medical College of Wisconsin
RECRUITINGMilwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, United States
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