NCT07094906

Handgrip Exercise Training and CKD

Neural and Vascular Modulation With Isometric Handgrip Training in Chronic Kidney Disease

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 50 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Emory University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 45 Years – 85 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to find out if regular handgrip exercise performed at home can improve blood pressure at rest and during exercise in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study is also intended to understand what causes an increase in blood pressure at rest and during exercise (i.e., increased adrenaline levels, or decreased ability of blood vessels to dilate). Patients with CKD will be recruited from primary care, Nephrology and other subspecialty Clinics throughout the Emory Healthcare System. Participants will attend 4 visits of 2-3 hours and 3 visits of 1-2 hours. The home exercise training will last for 8 weeks.

Detailed description

The goal of this study is to learn more about if exercising the grip strength at home can improve blood pressure control. Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) have a much higher risk of cardiovascular problems than healthy people. Early results show that patients with CKD have issues controlling their blood pressure. The investigators think that this type of exercise, where you use a grip device to squeeze, might help improve health by lowering blood pressure. Even though the American Heart Association recommends this kind of exercise, not many people are using it. The study population will consist of 50 patients with CKD in stages III and IV. They will do the grip exercise three times a week at home, squeezing a grip device four times for 2 minutes with each hand. The research team will also check their flight-or-flight control and artery health to see how this exercise training might help. The investigators will collect some blood samples to understand what changes are happening in their bodies. Patients with CKD will attend 4 visits of 2-3 hours and 3 visits of 1-2 hours. The home exercise training will last for 8 weeks. Therefore, the approximate study duration is around 12 weeks. Patients with CKD will be recruited from primary care, Nephrology and other subspecialty Clinics throughout the Emory Healthcare System. No bank for specimens or data will be maintained. The informed consent process will occur in-person. This study will help to find new ways to improve CKD cardiovascular health.

Conditions

• Chronic Kidney Diseases

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Isometric handgrip exercise training	Maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) will be assessed first in both hands using a hand dynamometer with a digital display (Handexer HFEH20); the participant squeezes the hand dynamometer as hard as they can for 3 to 5 attempts to obtain the MVC. The intervention is an 8- week training protocol that consists of handgrip exercises performed by the participant at home. Each cycle of sustained handgrip exercise consists of sustained squeezing of the hand dynamometer at 30% of MVC for 2 minutes (i.e. isometric) followed by 1 minute of rest.
DEVICE	Sham Training	Each cycle of sustained handgrip exercise consists of sustained squeezing of the hand dynamometer at 3 - 5% of MVC rather than 30%.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-04-01
• Primary completion: 2027-12-01
• Completion: 2027-12-01
• First posted: 2025-07-31
• Last updated: 2026-02-12

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated device study