SCI results in higher incidence of heart disease and diabetes and heart disease is the most common cause of death. Chronic inflammation, deleterious changes in vascular structure and impaired glucose metabolism are risk factors that contribute to both heart disease and diabetes. While exercise can help reduce these risk factors, paralysis and impaired accessibility often precludes exercise in persons with SCI. New research in able-bodied persons demonstrates passive heating decreases inflammation and improves vascular function. Similar studies in persons with SCI suggest they may also have the same health benefits however these studies only investigated the impact of short term (one episode) passive heating (as opposed to repeated bouts). Repeated bouts of heat exposure will likely be required to impact chronic inflammation, but this has never been tested in persons with SCI. This study will test the impact of repeated bouts (3x/week) of passive heat stress over a longer term (8 weeks) on inflammation, metabolism and vascular function.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
10
as above
participant engage in activity as usual
South Texas Health Care System, San Antonio, TX
San Antonio, Texas, United States
inflammatory markers
IL-6
Time frame: change from 0 to 8 to 16 weeks
endothelial function
cutaneous vascular conductance measured via laser doppler flowmetry
Time frame: change from 0 to 8 to 16 weeks
glucose metabolism via oral glucose tolerance test
oral glucose tolerance test
Time frame: change from 0 to 8 to 16 weeks
inflammatory marker
TNF-alpha
Time frame: change from 0 to 8 to 16 weeks
inflammation
IL-1 beta
Time frame: change from 0 to 8 to 16 weeks
inflammation
IL-10
Time frame: change from 0 to 8 to 16 weeks
inflammation
Heat shock protein 72
Time frame: change from 0 to 8 to 16 weeks
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