Diastolic Heart FailurePART-HFNCT05223751
Parasympathetic Augmentation Via Respiratory Training for Patients With Systolic Heart Failure
A study testing Meo Health Breathing and humming exercises in people with Diastolic Heart Failure, run by Lancaster General Hospital at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This is a prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial in which participants with NYHA class II or III and symptomatic Heart Failure with reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF) (Ejection Fraction (EF) ≤ 45%) will be assigned to one of two treatment groups: standard of care or breathing therapy. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Diastolic Heart Failure
- What is being tested?
- Meo Health Breathing and humming exercises
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 65 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 7 Feb 2022to 12 Sep 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 18 years or older
- Signed informed consent
- NYHA class II-III heart failure
- EF ≤ 45% (echo within 1 year of enrollment)
- At least 30 days of stable medical regimen (no new neurohormonal blockade or Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i). Dose adjustments allowed)
- Likely to be compliant with breath training as assessed by the provider
- Availability of a "smart" phone and internet access
- Established care at Lancaster General Health Penn Medicine
Who cannot join
- Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) within 6 months
- Severe Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- History of diaphragm paralysis
- Unable or unwilling to complete respiratory training protocol
- Decompensated or American College of Cardiology (ACC) Stage D Heart Failure (HF)
- Prior or planned chest/abdominal or nasal/facial surgery within 6 months
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- Neuromuscular disease which impairs respiration
- Diagnosed cognitive impairment (unable to participate in training)
- Untreated obstructive severe sleep apnea (AHI > 30)
- Severe valvular heart disease
- Uncontrolled atrial fibrillation (Ave Heart Rate (HR) > 100 bpm)
- Orthopedic or other limitations which impair the 6-minute walk test
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Lancaster General Hospital
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 17604
About this study
This is a prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial in which participants with NYHA class II or III and symptomatic Heart Failure with reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF) (Ejection Fraction (EF) ≤ 45%) will be assigned to one of two treatment groups: standard of care or breathing therapy.
Read the detailed description
To evaluate the effect of breathing training on the 6-minute walk test in a population of heart failure patients.
Enrollment/Baseline Visit During the enrollment visit, the participant will meet with the clinical research coordinator (CRC) to review any final questions regarding the study and the informed consent form will be signed. The enrollment visit must occur within one month of screening. Once the informed consent is signed, the following procedures will occur.
- Randomization: Participants will be randomized using REDCap in a 2:1 blocking method into the intervention group (breathing therapy) or the control (standard of care).
- N-terminal (NT)-pro hormone BNP (NT-proBNP): If an NT-proBNP was collected as standard of care within 3 months of enrollment, this can be used for study purposes and compared to the 6 month NT-proBNP.
- New York Heart Association Class: If the NYHA class is completed as standard of care within 3 months of enrollment, this can be used for study proposes.
- Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ)
- Respiratory Rate
- Peak Expiratory Flow
- 6-minute walk test
- Orientation to the Heart Rate Variability 4 (HRV4) Training application: This will include downloading, creating an account for, and training the participant on the application.
The Intervention Group will also receiving training on the Meo Health breathing therapy, which will include:
- Being shown the Meo Health Breathing Therapy On-Boarding video
- Orientation to breathing application: Participants will be assisted in downloading and custom setting the Breathe application.
- Zoom Within one month of the baseline visit, participants in the intervention group will have a one-on-one training session with the Meo Health breathing coach. This will mark the beginning of their breathing therapy intervention. 3 Month Visit The 3 month visit will occur 3 months (± 14 days) from the one-on-one training session for participants in the intervention group . The participant will only meet with the CRC at the 3 month visit and all assessments will be completed by the CRC.
- NYHA class
- KCCQ
- Respiratory Rate
- Peak Expiratory Flow
- 6-minute walk test
- Assess compliance from HRV4 Training application questions
- Assess any possible adverse events 6 Month/Final Visit The 6 month visit will occur 6 months (± 14 days) from the one-on-one training session for participants in the intervention group. The participant will meet with the CRC at the 6 month visit, any assessments not completed as Standard of Care (SOC), will be completed by the CRC.
- NT-proBNP: If an NT-proBNP is ordered as standard of care for the participant, this can be used for study purposes and compared to the baseline NT-proBNP.
- NYHA class: If the NYHA class is completed as standard of care, this can be used for study purposes and compared to the baseline and 3 month values.
- KCCQ
- Respiratory Rate
- Peak Expiratory Flow
- 6-minute walk test
- Assess any possible adverse events 9 Month Structured Telephone Survey The 9 month structured telephone interview will take place for all participants who receive breathing training from Meo Health. Participants will be called by a study team member who will facilitate a short (3-5 minute) telephone survey about adherence and changes in health outcomes as a result of participation in the trial. (See appendix 15.4). The study team member will record all answers into REDCap. Upon completion of the survey, participants will be closed out of the study. If a study team member is unable to get in contact with a participant after two attempts, their status will be marked as "closed to follow-up" and they won't be interviewed.
- Conditions
- Diastolic Heart Failure
- Being tested
- Meo Health Breathing and humming exercises
- Keywords
- heart failure
- Medical subject headings
- Heart Failure, Diastolic, Heart Failure
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Meo Health Breathing and humming exercisesBehavioural
The Intervention Group will receive training on the Meo Health breathing therapy, which will include:
- Being shown the Meo Health Breathing Therapy On-Boarding video
- Orientation to breathing application: Participants will be assisted in downloading and customizing the Breathe application.
- Zoom tutorial: Participants will be assisted in setting up and navigating Zoom application for use with the Meo Health breathing coach.
Within one month of the baseline visit, participants in the intervention group will have a 20 minute one-on-one training session with the Meo Health breathing coach. This will mark the beginning of their respiratory training intervention.
A 3 month visit will occur 3 months (± 14 days) from the one-on-one training session for participants in the intervention group.
A 6 month visit will occur 6 months (± 14 days) from the one-on-one training session for participants in the intervention group.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| HRV4 + Breathing and Humming Training | Experimental | On a biweekly basis, and with the other members of their subgroup within the cohort, participants will meet with the Meo Health breathing coach on Zoom for approximately 30 minutes. These sessions will encourage participants to complete their daily exercises and provide additional respiratory training. Receives: Behavioral: Meo Health Breathing and humming exercises |
| HRV4 Only | No intervention | Control participants will complete the daily heart rate variability (HRV) reading using the HRV4Training application. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change from baseline to 6 months for the 6-minute walk test (6MWT)
Distance (m) covered in six minutes from baseline to 6 months
Measured: Baseline, 6 months
Secondary outcomes (3)
Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire 12 (KCCQ12) quality of life score
Change in Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire 12 - Quality of Life (KCCQ12-QL) score
KCCQ12-QL score corresponds to Questions 6 and 7. Responses are coded as follows:
Question 6 Response It has extremely limited my enjoyment of life = 1 It has limited my enjoyment of life quite a bit = 2 It has moderately limited my enjoyment of life = 3 It has slightly limited my enjoyment of life = 4 It has not limited my enjoyment of life at all = 5
Question 7 Response Not at all satisfied = 1 Mostly dissatisfied = 2 Somewhat satisfied = 3 Mostly satisfied = 4 Completely satisfied = 5
If responses to both questions are missing, no score is computed. Otherwise, the score is calculated by taking the average of the non-missing responses and rescaling to 0-100, as follows:
KCCQ12-QL = 100*[(average of Questions 6 and 7) - 1]/4
Scores are scaled 0-100, where 0 denotes the lowest reportable health status and 100 the highest.
Measured: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months
Pulmonary parameters: Peak expiratory flow
Change in peak expiratory flow spirometry
Measured: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months
New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class (graded I-IV) Proportion Improved 1 Class
Proportion of subjects that decreased 1 NYHA class.
NYHA Classification - The Stages of Heart Failure:
Class I - Cardiac disease, but no symptoms and no limitation in ordinary physical activity.
Class II - Mild symptoms and slight limitation during ordinary activity. Class III - Significant limitation in activity due to symptoms. Comfortable only at rest.
Class IV - Severe limitations. Symptoms even while at rest. No NYHA class listed or unable to determine.
Measured: Baseline, 6 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Feb 2022
- Study start7 Feb 2022
- Primary completion20 Jun 2025
- Study completion12 Sep 2025
Why it stopped: Enrollment goal was not reached within the allotted funding period.
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Diastolic Heart FailureStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 65 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Lancaster General Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Louise von Hess Medical Research Institute
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Roy Small, MD, Principal investigator, Medical Director
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05223751
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2021-XXXX-LGHP
- Acronym
- PART-HF
- Status last verified
- Oct 2025
- First submitted
- 25 Jan 2022
- Last updated
- 23 Oct 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 23 Oct 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Parasympathetic Augmentation Via Respiratory Training for Patients With Systolic Heart Failure
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05223751
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PART-HF / 2021-XXXX-LGHP
- Conditions
- Diastolic Heart Failure
- Keywords
- heart failure
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- TerminatedReason stopped: Enrollment goal was not reached within the allotted funding period.
- Enrolment
- 65 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Lancaster General HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Louise von Hess Medical Research Institute
- Study start
- 7 Feb 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 20 Jun 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 12 Sep 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 4 Feb 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This is a prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial in which participants with NYHA class II or III and symptomatic Heart Failure with reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF) (Ejection Fraction (EF) ≤ 45%) will be assigned to one of two treatment groups: standard of care or breathing therapy.
Detailed description
To evaluate the effect of breathing training on the 6-minute walk test in a population of heart failure patients.
Enrollment/Baseline Visit During the enrollment visit, the participant will meet with the clinical research coordinator (CRC) to review any final questions regarding the study and the informed consent form will be signed. The enrollment visit must occur within one month of screening. Once the informed consent is signed, the following procedures will occur.
- Randomization: Participants will be randomized using REDCap in a 2:1 blocking method into the intervention group (breathing therapy) or the control (standard of care).
- N-terminal (NT)-pro hormone BNP (NT-proBNP): If an NT-proBNP was collected as standard of care within 3 months of enrollment, this can be used for study purposes and compared to the 6 month NT-proBNP.
- New York Heart Association Class: If the NYHA class is completed as standard of care within 3 months of enrollment, this can be used for study proposes.
- Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ)
- Respiratory Rate
- Peak Expiratory Flow
- 6-minute walk test
- Orientation to the Heart Rate Variability 4 (HRV4) Training application: This will include downloading, creating an account for, and training the participant on the application.
The Intervention Group will also receiving training on the Meo Health breathing therapy, which will include:
- Being shown the Meo Health Breathing Therapy On-Boarding video
- Orientation to breathing application: Participants will be assisted in downloading and custom setting the Breathe application.
- Zoom Within one month of the baseline visit, participants in the intervention group will have a one-on-one training session with the Meo Health breathing coach. This will mark the beginning of their breathing therapy intervention. 3 Month Visit The 3 month visit will occur 3 months (± 14 days) from the one-on-one training session for participants in the intervention group . The participant will only meet with the CRC at the 3 month visit and all assessments will be completed by the CRC.
- NYHA class
- KCCQ
- Respiratory Rate
- Peak Expiratory Flow
- 6-minute walk test
- Assess compliance from HRV4 Training application questions
- Assess any possible adverse events 6 Month/Final Visit The 6 month visit will occur 6 months (± 14 days) from the one-on-one training session for participants in the intervention group. The participant will meet with the CRC at the 6 month visit, any assessments not completed as Standard of Care (SOC), will be completed by the CRC.
- NT-proBNP: If an NT-proBNP is ordered as standard of care for the participant, this can be used for study purposes and compared to the baseline NT-proBNP.
- NYHA class: If the NYHA class is completed as standard of care, this can be used for study purposes and compared to the baseline and 3 month values.
- KCCQ
- Respiratory Rate
- Peak Expiratory Flow
- 6-minute walk test
- Assess any possible adverse events 9 Month Structured Telephone Survey The 9 month structured telephone interview will take place for all participants who receive breathing training from Meo Health. Participants will be called by a study team member who will facilitate a short (3-5 minute) telephone survey about adherence and changes in health outcomes as a result of participation in the trial. (See appendix 15.4). The study team member will record all answers into REDCap. Upon completion of the survey, participants will be closed out of the study. If a study team member is unable to get in contact with a participant after two attempts, their status will be marked as "closed to follow-up" and they won't be interviewed.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| HRV4 + Breathing and Humming Training | Experimental | Behavioral: Meo Health Breathing and humming exercisesOn a biweekly basis, and with the other members of their subgroup within the cohort, participants will meet with the Meo Health breathing coach on Zoom for approximately 30 minutes. These sessions will encourage participants to complete their daily exercises and provide additional respiratory training. |
| HRV4 Only | No intervention | –Control participants will complete the daily heart rate variability (HRV) reading using the HRV4Training application. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (8 listed)
- 18 years or older
- Signed informed consent
- NYHA class II-III heart failure
- EF ≤ 45% (echo within 1 year of enrollment)
- At least 30 days of stable medical regimen (no new neurohormonal blockade or Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i). Dose adjustments allowed)
Key exclusion criteria (12 listed)
- Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) within 6 months
- Severe Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- History of diaphragm paralysis
- Unable or unwilling to complete respiratory training protocol
- Decompensated or American College of Cardiology (ACC) Stage D Heart Failure (HF)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Meo Health Breathing and humming exercisesThe Intervention Group will receive training on the Meo Health breathing therapy, which will include: * Being shown the Meo Health Breathing Therapy On-Boarding video * Orientation to breathing application: Participants will be assisted in downloading and customizing the Breathe application. * Zoom tutorial: Participants will be assisted in setting up and navigating Zoom application for use with the Meo Health breathing coach. Within one month of the baseline visit, participants in the intervention group will have a 20 minute one-on-one training session with the Meo Health breathing coach. This will mark the beginning of their respiratory training intervention. A 3 month visit will occur 3 months (± 14 days) from the one-on-one training session for participants in the intervention group. A 6 month visit will occur 6 months (± 14 days) from the one-on-one training session for participants in the intervention group. | Behavioural | HRV4 + Breathing and Humming Training |
Primary outcome
Change from baseline to 6 months for the 6-minute walk test (6MWT)
Time frame: Baseline, 6 months
Distance (m) covered in six minutes from baseline to 6 months
3 secondary outcomes
Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire 12 (KCCQ12) quality of life score
Time frame: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months
Pulmonary parameters: Peak expiratory flow
Time frame: Baseline, 3 months, 6 months
New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class (graded I-IV) Proportion Improved 1 Class
Time frame: Baseline, 6 months
Results and safety
The study was stopped early (reason given: Enrollment goal was not reached within the allotted funding period.). Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 23 Oct 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Roy Small, MD principal investigator
Medical Director
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Meo Health Breathing and humming exercises in people with Diastolic Heart Failure, run by Lancaster General Hospital at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 12 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 23 Oct 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study was stopped early (reason given: Enrollment goal was not reached within the allotted funding period.). Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change from baseline to 6 months for the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) (time frame: Baseline, 6 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 23 Oct 2025.