Can reminding yourself what matters most boost heart pill taking?
NCT ID NCT05575375
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This pilot study tested whether a brief values-affirmation exercise could help older adults with heart failure stick to their medications. 43 participants in cardiac rehabilitation either did the exercise plus usual care or just usual care. The study focused on whether the approach was feasible and acceptable, not on proving it works.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Values-affirmation exercise
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple, low-cost way to help older adults with heart failure take their medications more consistently.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study (43 people) testing feasibility, not effectiveness. Results may not apply to broader populations or show clear benefit.
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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43 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Sep 2022
- Finished
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Jan 2025
- 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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50 years and older
- 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Heart failure * Enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation * Read and understand English Exclusion Criteria: * Current participation in another medication-monitoring clinical or research protocol * New York Heart Association class IV heart failure * Diagnosis of Alzheimer's, dementia, or severe cognitive impairment indicated on screening * Current suicidality or psychosis
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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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The Miriam Hospital
Providence, Rhode Island, 02906, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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