Exercise training for women with heart disease
Exercise Training in Women With Heart Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial
This project will test whether virtual high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or virtual moderate-to-vigorous continuous training (MICT) better improves fitness, mental health, and quality of life in women with coronary heart disease.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 172 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | Female |
| Sponsor | Ottawa Heart Institute Research Corporation Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Ottawa, Ontario) |
| Trial ID | NCT06494163 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This randomized study will enroll 104 women with coronary heart disease and assign them to either virtual HIIT or virtual MICT performed twice weekly for 12 weeks. The HIIT group will do 25-minute Zumba/movement sessions featuring four 4-minute high-intensity intervals (85–95% max) separated by 3-minute rests, while the MICT group will do 35-minute continuous Zumba/movement at 70–85% effort. Participants will undergo maximal exercise testing (CPET), body composition and cardiometabolic measurements, and complete questionnaires on quality of life, mental health, motivation, self-efficacy, and enjoyment before and after the intervention. Exercise sessions are delivered virtually, with baseline and outcome testing conducted at the Ottawa Heart Institute.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Women assigned female at birth with coronary heart disease at least 4 weeks after their event or procedure who can complete a symptom-limited CPET and read English or French are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Patients who already engage in structured exercise more than twice weekly, who cannot safely complete maximal exercise testing, or who cannot participate in English or French are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could provide a shorter, home-delivered HIIT option that improves fitness, mood, and quality of life for women with coronary heart disease.
How similar studies have performed: Previous HIIT trials in people with heart disease have often shown greater fitness gains than continuous moderate exercise, but few large trials have focused specifically on women or fully virtual delivery.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Women (i.e., female sex assigned at birth) with CHD (e.g., coronary artery bypass grafting surgery \[CABG\], percutaneous coronary intervention \[PCI\], acute myocardial infarction \[MI\], MI with no obstructive coronary artery disease \[MINOCA\], or ischemia with no obstructive coronary artery disease \[INOCA\] at least 4 weeks post procedure or event; based on clinical evidence this is a safe period of time to exercise); 2. Patient is able to perform a symptom limited CPET (this is the primary outcome and needed to determine peak HR for the exercise training prescription); and 3. Patient is able to read and understand English or French. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Patient is currently participating in routine exercise training (\>2x/week, routine exercise training is defined as a planned, structured, and repetitive exercise that is performed in order to maintain or improve physical fitness.) (this may reduce the impact of HIIT or MICT on outcomes); 2. Patient has: NYHA class III-IV heart failure symptoms; unstable angina; or established diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, severe mitral or aortic stenosis, or hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (this may interfere with the ability to engage in MICT or HIIT); 3. Patient has uncontrolled arrhythmia (this may impact the HR-based exercise training prescription and monitoring); 4. Patient is unable to provide written informed consent; or 5. Patient is unwilling or unable to return for follow-up visits at 12 and 26 weeks. 6. Patient is unwilling to be randomized to HIIT or MICT.
Where this trial is running
Ottawa, Ontario
- University of Ottawa Heart Institute — Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Jennifer Reed, PhD — Ottawa Heart Institute Research Corporation
- Study coordinator: Jennifer Reed, PhD
- Email: jreed@ottawaheart.ca
- Phone: 613-696-7392
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.