The purpose of this study is to determine the optimal cooling strategies to alleviate cardiovascular strain of coronary artery disease individuals during a simulated North American and Australian heatwave.
Globally, heatwaves are occurring more frequently, are of greater intensity and longer in duration. The devastating health impacts of extreme heat are increasingly recognized, particularly in vulnerable populations, such as adults with coronary artery disease (CAD). While the most effective cooling strategy during a heatwave is the use of air conditioning (AC), economical concerns can limit AC use among vulnerable populations. In addition, widespread AC use places a significant burden on the electrical grid, causing brown-outs and black-outs during periods of extreme heat. Electric fans offer a cooling strategy with a 50-fold lower power requirement and cost compared to AC. However, the efficacy of fan use during heat waves remains contentious. The primary objective of this study is to identify the optimal cooling strategy to alleviate cardiovascular strain of CAD patients exposed to typical North American heatwave conditions (38°C with 60% relative humidity). The secondary objective is to identify the optimal cooling strategy to alleviate cardiovascular strain of CAD patients exposed to typical Australian heatwave conditions (46°C with 10% relative humidity).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
27
The participant will rest in a seated position.
A fan placed in front of the participant will provide an airflow of 4 m/s throughout the exposure.
Tap water (\~18°C) will be applied every 5 minutes to the face, neck, upper and lower arms and upper and lower legs using a spray bottle.
cardiovascular Prevention and rehabilitation Centre of the Montreal Heart Institute
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Rate pressure product
Rate pressure product, in beats per minute per mmHg
Time frame: Change from baseline to the end of the 3 hour exposure
Body core temperature
In degrees Celcius
Time frame: Change from baseline to the end of the 3 hour exposure
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A fan placed in front of the participant will provide an airflow of 4 m/s throughout the exposure. In addition, tap water (\~18°C) will be applied every 5 minutes to the face, neck, upper and lower arms and upper and lower legs using a spray bottle.