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Clinical Trials

Congestive Heart Failure Patients Sought For Exercise Study

Mayo Clinic physicians are participating in a research study to determine if patients with congestive heart failure can live longer and avoid hospitalization if put on a tailored exercise program.

The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, will enroll 3,000 patients from 60 health care sites in the United States, Canada and France to investigate the role of exercise as a treatment for heart failure. Lifestyle changes, weight control and proper exercise already have been shown beneficial in several small studies. This study will compare one group assigned to a structured exercise program to another group assigned to a usual standard of care program. From that comparison, researchers hope to determine if exercise reduces the amount and duration of hospitalization and mortality from the disease.

Patients must be over 18 years old and have been diagnosed with congestive heart failure. Those eligible will receive study-related medical care at no charge. This will include exercise testing, follow-up calls to determine health status and evaluations at Mayo Clinic every three months during the first two years of the study, then yearly thereafter. Participants randomly selected to participate in the exercise-training group will also receive the following:

• Information about exercise training
• Supervised exercise sessions in the Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Department at
  St. Luke's Hospital tailored to each patient's medical condition and physical ability
• Exercise with supervision about one hour a day, three days a week, for three months (progressing to a home exercise program)
• A treadmill or stationary bicycle for home use
• A heart monitor to track the effects of the exercise program

For more information, contact Pamela Oldano in the Clinical Studies Unit at (904) 296-3817.

Do You Suffer from Recurring Stomach Pain?

If you are a woman over the age of 18 who has experienced the following symptoms during any 12 weeks of the past year, you may be eligible to participate in a clinical research study:

• Early sense of fullness with eating
• Pain or discomfort in the middle to upper abdomen
• Bloating
• Nausea or vomiting

These are symptoms of a digestive condition called dyspepsia. We are studying if the investigational use of an already approved medication will improve your symptoms of dyspepsia.

You must not have been diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), active irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or diabetes requiring insulin treatment.

If you qualify, you will be provided with all study examinations and medication. You will receive compensation for your time if you complete this study. To learn more, please contact Marcia Christy in the Clinical Studies Unit at (904) 953-8268.

Learn more about clinical trials at Mayo Clinic.