Clinical trials

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an exercise programme started shortly after diagnosis improves the fitness and mental wellbeing of patients with pulmonary hypertenion over and above medication alone. It will also learn about whether extra support can help patients keep up with exercise in the long term. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Doe exercise improve how far patients can walk over six minutes * Does exercise improve quality of life scores * Does exercise improve mental health scores * Does extra support after an exercise programme help patients to continue exercising in the long term Researchers will compare the exercise programme to a control group (a group of similar patients who do not receive the exercise programme) to see the effect that exercise has. Participants in the exercise programme group will: * Undergo an exercise programme for 12 weeks, starting around 3 months after their diagnosis * They will undertake the exercise programme at home, remotely supervised by the research team with regular contact * Visit the clinic at the end of the programme for checkups and tests * Keep a diary of their exercise and how they are feeling Participants in the control group will: -Still undergo the exercise programme, but this will happen at a delayed time, starting around 6 months after diagnosis, to allow for a comparison between the two groups. Following completion of the exerise programme: * Half of participants will receive extra support to help them continue to exercise * The other half will not receive any additional support * All patients will be reviewed 1 year following the completion of their exercise programme to monitor their ongoing exercise levels.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the VELYS Robotic-Assisted Solution (VRAS) device helps to improve outcomes from total knee replacement, when compared to regular non-robotic-assisted total knee replacement in the treatment of osteoarthritis. It will also aim to review the longer-term safety and efficiency effects of using this device. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does VRAS device-assisted total knee replacement improve patient outcomes (such as their function, satisfaction, and pain) when compared to non-robotic-assisted total knee replacement? 2. Does VRAS device-assisted total knee replacement improve clinical outcomes (such as revision risk, complications, and hospital length of stay) when compared to non-robotic-assisted total knee replacement? 3. Does VRAS device-assisted total knee replacement improve functional outcomes (including biomechanical motion analysis) when compared to non-robotic-assisted total knee replacement? 4. What are the economic and efficiency effects of VRAS device-assisted total knee replacement compared to non-robotic-assisted total knee replacement? 5. What are the human factor and learning curve effects of introducing VRAS device-assisted total knee replacement into healthcare teams? 6. Are there any differences in safety and adverse event incidence between VRAS device-assisted total knee replacement and non-robotic-assisted total knee replacement? Participants will: * Be randomised to receive a total knee replacement using either regular non-robotic-assisted methods, or with the use of the VRAS device. * Be assessed pre-operatively at the clinic, and then at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months following date of operation. At these appointments patients will answer questionnaires, receive an x-ray (pre-operatively, and at 6 months post-operatively), and a subgroup will be reviewed in the motion analysis laboratory (pre-operatively, and at 6 months post-operatively). * Have their longer-term outcomes including any revision operations monitored out to 10 years through national registry data linkage (no actual follow-up for patients after 12 months).

The goal of this study is to learn how accurate smartwatches are at measuring oxygen levels in patients with a condition called pulmonary hypertension. The main questions it aims to answer are: * How accurate the smartwatches are at measuring oxygen levels when the patient is sitting at rest * How accurate are smartwatches at measuring oxygen levels after exercise * How accurate are smartwatches at measuring oxygen levels after breathing a lower level of oxygen through a mask. Researchers will compare oxygen levels measured through a smartwatch with those checked through a finger probe oxygen monitor and also from a blood sample checked from the artery in the wrist to see if smartwatch oxygen measurements are similar. Participants will: -Attend the hospital once, just for a few hours to collect all the required data.

Background Pulmonary hypertension is a rare and incurable condition characterised by fatigue and breathlessness. The effects of pulmonary hypertension has a significant impact on an individual's emotional wellbeing and there are currently no established psychological interventions to improve this. Interoception is defined as the ability to perceive the internal state of the body and emerging research suggests that interventions to improve interoception can improve well-being. Aims The project aims to develop an interoceptive based intervention for those with pulmonary hypertension and examine the feasibility and acceptability of this. Additional aims are to explore the preliminary results of the intervention. Methods A randomised control feasibility trial will be used. Thirty-two participants will be included. Participants will be patients within the Scottish Pulmonary Vascular Unit diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension and randomly assigned to either the intervention or control (waitlist) group. The intervention will be an eight-session online group and participants will complete measures for interoception, anxiety, depression, health related quality of life, as well as a feasibility and acceptability questionnaire. Quantitative analysis will include descriptive statistics and T-tests (including non-parametric versions) to analyse the feasibility and gain a preliminary understanding of the intervention. Practical Applications It is hoped that the findings will identify a sample size for a larger trial whilst also informing future clinical practice. This project will be written up for a suitable journal and will be presented at an appropriate conference.