Low-frequency bathtub ultrasound to support healthy aging
Effects of Ultrasound on Healthy Aging
This trial will test whether 45-minute low-frequency ultrasound baths, taken three times a week for eight weeks, improve muscle strength, thinking, immune-aging markers, and body composition in healthy adults aged 70 and older.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 20 (estimated) |
| Ages | 70 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (San Antonio, Texas) |
| Trial ID | NCT07168525 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
Investigators will recruit 20 healthy older adults and randomize 10 to receive low-frequency ultrasound while sitting in a bathtub and 10 to sit in the same bathtub with the device turned off as a sham control. Before and after the 8-week intervention, participants will undergo testing of muscle function, cognitive performance, blood-based measures of immune aging, and body composition. The active group will receive 45-minute sessions three times per week for eight weeks; the sham group will have identical visits without the ultrasound being turned on. The ultrasound device produces low-frequency sound waves in the water that are undetectable to the person in the tub.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are otherwise healthy adults aged 70 or older with BMI under 40 who can climb a flight of stairs, get in and out of a bathtub, and commit to three 45-minute sessions per week for eight weeks.
Not a fit: People with uncontrolled hypertension, active skin wounds or poor wound healing, daily incontinence, body size exceeding the spa limits, or other medical conditions that increase participation risk are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this noninvasive approach could offer an easy, at-home–style intervention to reduce age-related declines in strength, cognition, immune health, and body composition.
How similar studies have performed: This application of low-frequency bath ultrasound for systemic healthy aging is largely novel; while ultrasound has shown benefits for localized tissue healing, there is limited direct evidence for broad improvements in aging-related measures.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Males and females; Age 70 or older 2. BMI \<40 kg/m2 3. Ability to walk up a flight of stairs and short ladder 4. Ability to get in and out of a bath 5. Willingness to adhere to the spa treatments regimen Exclusion Criteria: 1. To accommodate the participants comfortably in our spa, participants with body weight \>350 pounds, body girth ≥ 50 inches and height ≥ 6 feet 8 inches will be excluded. 2. Any medical condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, would place the participant at increased risk for participation. 3. Fecal or urinary incontinence (daily use of depends) 4. Uncontrolled HTN (BP \>180) or unstable vital signs that in the opinion of the investigator would place at increased risk for participation 5. Any clinically significant rash or formation of rashes or open sores, boils, or infected wounds two weeks prior to screening or any time during the study. 6. History of poor wounds healing lower extremity within the past two years 7. Glycated Hemoglobin (Hgb) A1c level \>8.5% 8. Required use of ambulatory assistive devices 9. Laboratory evidence of infection or colonization with multidrug resistant pathogens in the past 90 days 10. History of myocardial infarction (MI), cerebrovascular accident (CVA) within the past year 11. History of prior non-compliance or the presence of history of health condition (drug or alcohol addiction) that would make it difficult for the participant to comply with the study procedures or follow the investor's instructions 12. Unable to complete procedures in visit 1
Where this trial is running
San Antonio, Texas
- University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio — San Antonio, Texas, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Blake Rasmussen, PhD — The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- Study coordinator: Blake Rasmussen, PhD
- Email: rasmussenb@uthscsa.edu
- Phone: 210-450-7491
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.