An interventional study of Water Spray and Fan in Aging and Hyperthermia, sponsored by University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 65 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-08.
Sponsored by University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
The purpose of this study is to assess how well cooling modalities work in reducing cardiovascular stress of the elderly to heat wave conditions
Heat waves are lethal and cause a disproportionate number of deaths in the elderly relative to any other age group. Such deaths are primarily cardiovascular, not hyperthermia itself, in origin. The central hypothesis of this work is that cardiovascular stress during heat wave conditions in the elderly can be reduced by applying low-energy cooling modalities. Comprehensive cardiovascular and thermal responses in the elderly will be evaluated during exposure to two prolonged heat wave conditions: hot and humid (replicating the 1995 Chicago heat wave), very hot and dry (replicating the 2018 Los Angeles heat wave). With each of these heat wave conditions individuals will be exposed to the following cooling modalities: no cooling (control), water spray, fan use, and fan use plus water spray.
256 studies on the registry are indexed under Hyperthermia; 73 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 100 is above the median of 40 across 232 interventional studies indexed under Hyperthermia.
Browse Hyperthermia studies →University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center is the lead sponsor of 1,010 studies on the registry; 199 are open to participants now.
Of its 139 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 105 (76%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
A recording of the heart’s electrical activity, taken with stickers on the chest, arms and legs. It takes a few minutes and does not hurt.
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
ECG (electrocardiogram)
A recording of the heart’s electrical activity, taken with stickers on the chest, arms and legs. It takes a few minutes and does not hurt.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
BMI (body mass index)
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Subjects will be exposed to 3 hours in a climate chamber set to approximately 47 deg C and 15% relative humidity, which reflects a very hot and dry heat wave condition similar to the 2018 Los Angeles heat wave. Four visits will be required to complete this arm, with each visit a different cooling modality applied.
Other: Water Spray · Other: Fan · Other: Water Spray and Fan · Other: Control
Subjects will be exposed to 3 hours in a climate chamber set to approximately 41 deg C and 40% relative humidity, which reflects hot and humid heat wave similar to the 1995 Chicago heat wave. Four visits will be required to complete this arm, with each visit a different cooling modality applied.
Other: Water Spray · Other: Fan · Other: Water Spray and Fan · Other: Control
Participants will receive water spraying on their body throughout the climate chamber exposure.
Participants will be exposed to a fan throughout the climate chamber exposure.
Participants will receive both water spraying and a fan throughout the climate chamber exposure.
Participants will NOT receive either water spray or a fan exposure.
Change in core body temperature
Change in core body temperature will be measured either from a temperature sensor pill or from a rectal thermometer
Time frame: Body core temperature will be obtained within 60 min before the heat wave exposure after the 3 hour heat wave exposure.
Change in left ventricular function
Measures of left ventricular function, such as ventricular wall motion and ventricular filling, will be obtained from echocardiography images.
Time frame: Within 60 minutes before each simulated heat wave exposure, around minute 90 of the heat wave exposure, and at the end of the 3 hour heat wave exposure
Heart rate
Heart rate will be measured from ECG electrodes attached to the participant
Time frame: Prior to and throughout each simulated heat wave exposure; approximately 420 minutes
Cardiac output
Cardiac output (how much blood is ejected from the heart) will be measured using 3D echocardiography.
Time frame: Within 60 minutes before each simulated heat wave exposure and during each simulated heat wave exposure (up to 3 hours)
Arterial blood pressure
Arterial blood pressure will be measured using a standard arm blood pressure cuff.
Time frame: Prior to and throughout each simulated heat wave exposure; an average of 480 minutes
Whole body sweat rate
Whole body sweat rate will be measured by through nude weight of the participant.
Time frame: Within 60 minutes before each simulated heat wave exposure and within 30 minutes after each heat wave exposure.
Markers of renal function and injury - Cystatin C
Markers of renal function and injury (e.g., cystatin C) will be evaluated from blood sampling collection.
Time frame: Within 60 minutes before each simulated heat wave exposure, during each simulated heat wave exposure (up to 3 hours), and within 2 hours after the simulated heat wave exposure
Markers of renal function and injury - Creatinine Clearance
Markers of renal function and injury (e.g., creatinine clearance) will be evaluated from blood sampling and urine collection.
Time frame: Within 60 minutes before each simulated heat wave exposure, during each simulated heat wave exposure (up to 3 hours), and within 2 hours after the simulated heat wave exposure
Markers of renal function and injury - Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7
Markers of renal function and injury (e.g., Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7) will be evaluated from urine sampling.
Time frame: Within 60 minutes before each simulated heat wave exposure, during each simulated heat wave exposure (up to 3 hours), and within 2 hours after the simulated heat wave exposure
Markers of renal function and injury - Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2
Markers of renal function and injury (e.g., Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2) will be evaluated from urine sampling.
Time frame: Within 60 minutes before each simulated heat wave exposure, during each simulated heat wave exposure (up to 3 hours), and within 2 hours after the simulated heat wave exposure
Cerebral perfusion
Cerebral perfusion will be measured by Doppler ultrasound of the internal carotid and vertebral arteries.
Time frame: Within 60 minutes before each simulated heat wave exposure and during each simulated heat wave exposure (up to 3 hours)
High sensitive cardiac troponin
A plasma-based marker of cardiac stress (high sensitive cardiac troponin) be evaluated from blood sampling.
Time frame: Within 60 minutes before each simulated heat wave exposure, during each simulated heat wave exposure (up to 3 hours), and within 2 hours after the simulated heat wave exposure
Skin temperature
Skin temperature will be measured from small temperature sensitive electrodes attached to the participant's skin
Time frame: Within 60 minutes before each simulated heat wave exposure and during each simulated heat wave exposure (up to 3 hours)
Forced vital capacity (FVC)
Forced vital capacity will be obtained from spirometry
Time frame: Within 60 minutes before each simulated heat wave exposure and during each simulated heat wave exposure (up to 3 hours)
Started Feb 2023 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jan 2027, 47 months after the start.
Of 103 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Hyperthermia, half reached primary completion within 18 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 7 and three quarters within 30. This study's planned 47 months is above that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 108 studies reached it within 18 months; a quarter within 7 and three quarters within 30.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
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