Health TrialsbyHealthPanel

Strength and Balance Integration in Maintenance Cardiac Rehabilitation for Older Adults

ConditionsCardiac RehabilitationOlder Adults (50-94 Years)
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age50-100
SponsorGlasgow Caledonian University

About this trial

The goal of this cluster randomised clinical trial is to investigate the impact of adding strength and balance exercises into traditional aerobic-based Cardiac Rehabilitation Community/Maintenance classes on the functional fitness of older adults.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. To explore participants' functional fitness changes, 2. Confidence in balance, 3. Concerns about falling compared to those participating in traditional aerobic-based cardiac rehabilitation only. 4. Understand the perceptions of participants regarding the addition of strength and balance into classes. 5. Understand the views of exercise professionals delivering the classes with additional strength and balance.

Participants:

1. Will get their Functional fitness measured using the Functional Fitness MOT at baseline, and carry out questionnaires on their current physical activity levels, confidence in balance and concerns about falling. 2. The traditional aerobic-based cardiac rehabilitation classes (Clusters) will be randomised into Intervention Groups (additional strength and balance added) and usual care (Control Groups). 3. After 12 weeks, Functional Fitness and the questionnaires will be reassessed. 4. Two weeks after the 12-week follow-up, participants will be invited to an online focus group on Microsoft Teams to understand their perceptions of strength and balance. 5. Additionally, exercise Leaders will be invited to an interview on Microsoft Teams to discuss their views on strength and balance incorporation into maintenance cardiac rehabilitation classes.

Eligibility criteria

This trial does not accept healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

English-speaking older adults

Aged ≥50 years old

Able to provide written informed consent

Currently engaged with community-based Maintenance Cardiac Rehabilitation exercise classes within Scotland for at least 6 months

Disqualifiers

Show symptoms of an unstable cardiovascular medical condition

Have moderate or severe cognitive impairment (can neither understand nor write the informed consent form, and/or cannot follow instructions)

Have upper or lower limb amputation

Have had upper or lower limb fractures in the past six months.

Trial design

Design model

Parallel

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Strength and balance added to traditional aerobic-based cardiac rehabilitation

    Behavioral

    Exercise Leaders will add strength and balance exercises into the session (approximately 20 minutes in each 60 minute class) for the 12 weeks of the study. Instructors will be provided with a video showing a variety of potential exercises they could add into their class (approximately 10 strength and 10 balance exercises (dynamic and static). It is their discretion which exercises they put into their classes and can alter them within the selection between classes, allowing them to tailor to their particular group abilities. The exercises have been chosen as they have been added, without any adverse events, to 5 classes in the local area courtesy of one instructor who found her clients needed more strength and balance work in their sessions to improve their stability during the endurance work. Anecdotally, most participants fed back to the instructor that these exercises had helped their balance and stability.

  • Control Group

    Behavioral

    Traditional aerobic-based cardiac rehabilitation only

Treatment groups

53 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups
Group A: Additional Strength and Balance ExercisesExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Usual CareActive comparator 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

30-Second Chair Stand

Time frame
Baseline and 12 weeks
2

Single Leg Stance Test

Time frame
Baseline and 12 weeks

Secondary outcomes

1

Hand-held Dynamometer / Grip Strength

Time frame
Baseline and 12 weeks
2

8-Foot Timed Up and Go

Time frame
Baseline and 12 weeks
3

Chair Sit and Reach

Time frame
Baseline and 12 weeks
4

Apley's Back Scratch Test

Time frame
Baseline and 12 weeks

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

Glasgow Caledonian University

Lead sponsor

Source ClinicalTrials.gov
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