Heat & Aerobic Training (HEAT) Study (HEAT)
Pre-hypertension
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Pre-hypertension focused on measuring heat therapy, steam-room, aerobic exercise, hypertension, multiple behavior change, lifestyle modification
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age 45 to 64
- Confirmed pre-hypertensive (120-139 mmHG Systolic / 80-89 Diastolic mmHG) blood pressure by our laboratory staff
- Low active (< 2 days per week for 30+ minutes over the past 3 months)
- Able and willing to try to adhere to American Heart Association guidelines for managing multiple lifestyle factors contributing to high blood pressure including increasing physical activity (at least 50 minutes, 3 times/week as part of our supervised training sessions), stopping smoking altogether, eating healthier (limiting sodium, eating fruit, veggies, low-fat dairy and lean protein, and reducing saturated fat and total fat), drinking less alcohol (1-2 drinks a day max) and achieving and maintaining a healthy bodyweight (striving or a body mass index between 18 and 25).
- Able to commit to the full length of our program without missing more than 2 consecutive weeks
- Capable of performing moderately intensive aerobic exercise
- Willing to be randomized to one of two groups
- Able to commute to and from fitness facility and UIUC campus
- Own smartphone and have reliable at-home internet access
- Have correctable vision (i.e., at least 20/40 with glasses or contacts with no color blindness)
- Not involved in regular weekly relaxation methods (e.g., yoga, meditation) or heat therapy (e.g., steam-room, sauna, hot baths)
- Not heat sensitive (e.g., have not experienced heat-induced severe rashes, pain, numbness, or tingling; experienced heat-related cramps, illness, or heatstroke; or had surgery requiring general anesthesia that has caused subsequent difficulty regulating body temperature)
- Do not have any type of neuropathy (e.g., peripheral, diabetic)
- Not depressed as indicated by a telephone screening (Abbreviated 5-item Geriatric Depression Scale; GDS-5 score < 2)
- No cognitive impairment as indicated by a telephone screening (Telephone Interview Cognitive Survey; TICS score > 21)
Exclusion Criteria:
- Too young (< 45) or too old (> 64)
- Normotensive (< 120 mmHG Systolic / < 80 Diastolic mmHG) or hypertensive (> 140 mmHG Systolic / > 90 Diastolic mmHG) blood pressure
- Too active (as defined by regularly exercise 2 or more days per week for 30+ minutes over the past 3 months)
- Unable or unwilling to comply with American Heart Association guidelines for managing multiple lifestyle factors contributing to high blood pressure including increasing physical activity (at least 50 minutes, 3 times/week as part of our supervised training sessions), stopping smoking altogether, eating healthier (limiting sodium, eating fruit, veggies, low-fat dairy and lean protein, and reducing saturated fat and total fat), drinking less alcohol (1-2 drinks a day max) and achieving and maintaining a healthy bodyweight (striving or a body mass index between 18 and 25).
- Unable to commit to full length of program
- Incapable of performing moderately intensive aerobic exercise
- Unwilling to be randomized to one of two groups
- Unable to commute to and from fitness facility and UIUC campus
- Does not own smartphone or have reliable at-home internet access
- Does not have correctable vision (i.e., at least 20/40 with glasses or contacts with no color blindness)
- Already involved in regular weekly relaxation methods (e.g., yoga, meditation) or heat therapy (e.g., steam-room, sauna, hot baths)
- Has heat sensitivity (e.g., heat-induced severe rashes, pain, numbness, or tingling; experienced heat-related cramps, illness, or heatstroke; or had surgery requiring general anesthesia that has caused subsequent difficulty regulating body temperature)
- Has any type of neuropathy (e.g., peripheral, diabetic)
- Has depression (as defined by GDS-5 score of 2 or higher)
- Has cognitive impairment (as defined by < 21 on TICS)
Sites / Locations
- Louise Freer Hall, Exercise Technology & Cognition Laboratory, Rm 253
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
Active Comparator
Heat & Aerobic Training (HEAT) Condition
Exercise Only
Participants will receive supervised, moderate intensity (50-75% maximum heart rate) aerobic exercise sessions, 3 times per week for 50 minutes in duration. After the exercise portion of each session, participants assigned to the HEAT condition will be asked to sit quietly on the bench in the steam-room within their same-sex locker room for no more than 20 minutes. They will start at 11 minutes to get acclimated to the mild heat stress, and gradually work up to 20 minutes. A trained research staff member will be stationed outside the room.
Participants will receive supervised, moderate intensity (50-75% maximum heart rate) aerobic exercise sessions, 3 times per week for 50 minutes in duration. After the exercise portion of each session, participants assigned to the Exercise Only condition will be asked to sit quietly on the bench in the lobby of the fitness facility, initially for 11 minutes and then gradually working up to 20 minutes.