Breathing Exercises to Lower Blood Pressure in Adults with Kidney Disease
Official title: Inspiratory muscle strength training for lowering systolic blood pressure in midlife and older adults with chronic kidney disease
Funded at University of Colorado Denver · NIH-11132669 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores whether a special type of breathing exercise can help midlife and older adults with chronic kidney disease manage their high blood pressure.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $557,848 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK130266-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11132669 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are midlife and older adults, aged 21 and above, who have chronic kidney disease and high blood pressure that is difficult to control.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose blood pressure is already well-controlled or who are unable to perform inspiratory breathing exercises may not receive benefit from this specific intervention.
What this research studies
Many adults with chronic kidney disease struggle to control their high blood pressure, which can lead to heart problems and worsening kidney issues. While lifestyle changes like exercise are recommended, they can be hard to stick with. This project looks at a simple, short daily breathing exercise using a small device that helps strengthen your breathing muscles. We want to see if this exercise can effectively lower blood pressure and improve blood vessel health in people with chronic kidney disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could offer a new, easy-to-follow way for patients with chronic kidney disease to lower their blood pressure and reduce their risk of heart and kidney complications.
How similar studies have gone: A previous pilot project showed that this breathing exercise had excellent patient adherence and successfully lowered blood pressure in a small group of participants.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Colorado Denver
Aurora, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chonchol, Michel Benjamin — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Chonchol, Michel Benjamin
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Strength training for improving blood pressure in older adults with kidney disease
This study is looking at whether a special breathing exercise using a handheld device can help lower blood pressure in midlife and older adults with chronic kidney disease, making it easier for them to stick with this kind of exercise compared to regular workouts.
-
Understanding nighttime blood pressure patterns in children with kidney disease
This study looks at how kids with chronic kidney disease experience changes in their blood pressure at night, hoping to find out what might put them at risk for more serious kidney or heart problems.
-
Personalized CKD-MBD care using systems biology and AI
A patient-facing program aims to tailor mineral-balance therapy for people with chronic kidney disease by using a computer model and smart decision rules to predict who will respond best to treatments.
-
Mitigating DKA in people with type 1 diabetes and kidney disease using SGLT1/2 inhibitors
This project tests a new way to prevent dangerous diabetic ketoacidosis in people with type 1 diabetes and chronic kidney disease who are using SGLT inhibitors, by tracking ketones in real time and combining glucose-keton data for safer therapy.
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Chronic Kidney Disease in Children: following young people as they grow up with CKD
A long-term study in kids with chronic kidney disease tracks kidney function and heart health as they transition into adulthood.
-
Chronic Kidney Disease in Children follow-up study
A long-term study that follows kids with kidney disease as they grow into young adults, collecting health data from home and official records.
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.