Could a gentler tug on the Heart's reins spark recovery?
NCT ID NCT03238690
First seen Aug 13, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether slowly lowering the speed of a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) — a mechanical pump that helps a failing heart — can encourage the heart muscle to work harder and recover. The study enrolls people with end-stage heart failure who are waiting for a heart transplant. Over several visits, the LVAD speed is gradually reduced, and heart function is measured to see if this 'conditioning' approach improves the heart's pumping ability.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Controlled Cardiac Reloading through LVAD Speed Adjustment
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this approach could help some heart failure patients recover enough heart function to potentially reduce or avoid the need for a transplant.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with a historical comparison group, not a randomized controlled trial. Results may not apply to all patients, and reducing LVAD support carries risks like heart failure worsening or blood clots.
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
-
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
-
About 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Jun 2017
- Expected to finish
-
Jun 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
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
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
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: * Diagnosed with heart failure undergoing LVAD implantation as a bridge to transplant * Enrolled in the Effects of Mechanical Unloading on Myocardial Function and Structure study (IRB 30622) Exclusion Criteria: * Neither the subject nor the subject's representative is willing to provide written consent for participation * Subjects with adverse events leading to hospitalization during the optimum unloading phase are excluded from participation in the controlled reloading phase
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for End-stage heart failure are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
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
-
University of Utah
RECRUITINGSalt Lake City, Utah, 84112, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Which SGLT2 inhibitor wins? trial pits empagliflozin against dapagliflozin
- Can daily mindful breathing ease heart failure symptoms?
- Can a smartphone app keep heart failure patients out of the hospital?
- Can better training get doctors to talk about what matters most to dying veterans?
- Can AI read heart ultrasounds as well as trained sonographers?
- Can modern heart failure drugs reverse damage in three months?