A walking program to improve heart health for rural cancer survivors
Official title: ST3P: A lifestyle walking intervention to improve blood pressure and vascular health in rural cancer survivors
Funded at Iowa State University · NIH-11346791 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A rural cancer survivor-focused walking program aims to lower blood pressure and improve blood vessel health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Iowa State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ames, United States) |
| Project start | July 20, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $625,339 |
| NIH project number | 1R01NR022294-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11346791 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 45-79 with a history of cancer treatment, elevated blood pressure, and living in rural areas.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without elevated blood pressure or those not able to walk or participate in the 6-month program may not experience direct benefit.
What this research studies
This study invites rural cancer survivors who had chemotherapy and have high blood pressure to join a 6-month walking plan plus behavior coaching. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the walking and counseling program or standard healthy-living information. The goal is to see if more daily steps and guided habit formation can reduce blood pressure and improve a vascular health measure called AI-vascular age, with a 12-month follow-up to see if walking is maintained. The research brings together a team from Iowa State University to test whether this lifestyle approach can benefit heart health in a population with higher risk due to cancer treatment and location.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, participants could experience lower blood pressure and better cardiovascular health through a practical walking program and ongoing support.
How similar studies have gone: Previous lifestyle walking programs have shown potential to improve cardiovascular risk factors in various populations, though results in rural cancer survivors are being tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Iowa State University
Ames, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lefferts, Elizabeth — Iowa State University
- Study coordinator: Lefferts, Elizabeth
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Actions to Decrease Disparities in Blood Pressure Control for Blacks
Aiming to help Black patients manage high blood pressure by using nurses, community health workers, and home monitoring in real-world clinics.
-
Cognitive behavioral therapy and trazodone for insomnia phenotypes with high blood pressure
A clinical study tests how CBT-I and the sleep drug trazodone work for adults with insomnia and high blood pressure, focusing on a specific sleep duration pattern.
-
Music-powered tools to boost blood pressure and stroke prevention for Nigerian youth and their older caregivers
This project uses popular music to help Nigerian youths and their older family members start and stick to blood pressure and stroke prevention habits.
-
Telehealth exercise program to help rural breast cancer survivors fight fatigue
A telehealth exercise program is being tested to reduce cancer-related fatigue in rural breast cancer survivors.
-
Understanding how survivorship care plans affect health outcomes for cancer survivors
A study will look at whether survivorship care plans help reduce deaths and improve health for adults who have survived cancer.
-
Non-invasive, continuous blood pressure monitoring for prenatal maternal health
A wearable device from PyrAmes uses comfortable, non-invasive sensors and smart software to constantly monitor a pregnant person’s blood pressure and heart health so doctors can protect both mom and baby.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.