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BOOST: Exercise Training and Coaching for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

This study, called BOOST, is looking at a new way to help people with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). This is a type of heart failure where the heart pumps normally but has trouble relaxing. The study is testing a program that combines group education, individual coaching, and exercise sessions, both in a group setting and at home. The goal is to see if this approach can improve how well people with HFpEF respond to exercise and use resources more efficiently. Researchers will measure your exercise self-efficacy (your belief in your ability to exercise) at the start, at 4 weeks, and at 12 weeks. The study is currently recruiting about 14 participants aged 55 and older who have been diagnosed with HFpEF.

Study design
This is an interventional study, meaning participants will receive a specific treatment. It will involve about 14 participants and is not described as randomized or blinded.
What's involved
You would participate in trainer-guided, in-person, aerobic-based exercise and group counseling sessions approximately twice a week for 12 weeks.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your exercise self-efficacy will be measured at baseline, Week 4, and Week 12.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT07413198

BOOST: Blended Onsite and Offsite Structured Exercise Training and Coaching

Recruiting
NAAges 55+InterventionalSupportive care
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
~14 participants
Updated 2026-05-26 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:multi-domain behavioral, coaching, and exercise protocol

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Exercise self-efficacy scales Scores
Measured over Baseline
+22 more outcomes measured

Conditions

Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

Explore related trials

Heart failure with normal ejection fraction

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
North Carolina1

Study leadership

  • Anthony E Peters, MD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Who to contact

Anthony E Peters, MD
[email protected]
336-713-2278
Email the study team

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Diagnosis of heart failure with signs and symptoms of heart failure and at least one of the following: Evidence of increased LV filling pressures at rest, exercise, or other provocations / Prior HF hospitalization / Elevated heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (H2FPEF) score or elevated Heart Failure Association-Pre-test, Echocardiography \& natriuretic peptide, Functional testing, Final etiology (HFA-PEFF) score
Left ventricular ejection fraction ≥ 50%
New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II-IV
Age ≥ 55 years old

Exclusion

Significant change in cardiac medication or heart failure (HF) symptoms within 3 weeks prior to enrollment
Hospitalization or urgent care visit for HF within 4 weeks prior to enrollment
Acute coronary syndrome, stroke, transient ischemic attack; cardiac, carotid or other major Cardiac Vascular (CV) surgery; percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or carotid angioplasty, within 30 days prior to enrolment
Uncontrolled hypertension
Recent or debilitating stroke
Severe pulmonary disease including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Hemoglobin (Hgb) \< 9.5 g/dL males and \< 9 g/dL females within 30 days prior to enrollment
Patients with a history of heart transplant or Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD), currently on the transplant list
Significant, unrepaired cardiac valvular disease
A non-cardiac medical condition with an estimated life expectancy of \< 12 months
Known pericardial constriction, genetic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or infiltrative cardiomyopathy including amyloid heart disease (amyloidosis)
Life-threatening or uncontrolled dysrhythmia, including symptomatic or sustained ventricular tachycardia and atrial fibrillation or flutter
A treadmill exercise test revealing: ischemia; chest pain or leg claudication; exercise Systolic Blood Pressure \> 240 mmHg, Diastolic Blood Pressure \> 110 mmHg; unstable hemodynamics or rhythm; or unwilling or unable to complete adequate exercise test
Already engaging in regular moderate to vigorous exercise conditioning defined as \>30 minutes per day, ≥twice per week consistently during the previous 6 weeks
Any condition that in the judgement of the investigator precludes participation in study or study procedures such as significant dementia, mobility impairment, uncontrolled psychiatric disease, etc.
Inability to meet the expectations of the intervention (i.e., excessive distance from facility, work conflict with intervention)

What this trial measures

  • Exercise self-efficacy scales ScoresBaseline

    Total score is calculated by summing the responses to each question. This scale has a range of total scores from 0-90. A higher score indicates higher self-efficacy for exercise.

  • Exercise self-efficacy scales ScoresWeek 4

    Total score is calculated by summing the responses to each question. This scale has a range of total scores from 0-90. A higher score indicates higher self-efficacy for exercise.

  • Exercise self-efficacy scales ScoresWeek 12

    Total score is calculated by summing the responses to each question. This scale has a range of total scores from 0-90. A higher score indicates higher self-efficacy for exercise.

  • Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale ScoreBaseline

    Evaluates how participants determine benefits of and barriers to participating in exercise.

  • Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale ScoreWeek 4

    Evaluates how participants determine benefits of and barriers to participating in exercise.

  • Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale ScoreWeek 12

    Evaluates how participants determine benefits of and barriers to participating in exercise.

  • Heart Failure quality-of-life assessment - Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) ScoresBaseline

    scores from 0-100, where higher scores indicate better health

  • Heart Failure quality-of-life assessment - Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) ScoresWeek 4

    scores from 0-100, where higher scores indicate better health

  • Heart Failure quality-of-life assessment - Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) ScoresWeek 12

    scores from 0-100, where higher scores indicate better health

  • Number of daily steps by accelerometerBaseline

    Number of daily steps recorded for 1 week

  • Number of daily steps by accelerometerWeek 4

    Number of daily steps recorded for 1 week

  • Number of daily steps by accelerometerWeek 12

    Number of daily steps recorded for 1 week

  • 6-minute walk distanceBaseline

    measures functional capacity by the distance walked in 6 minutes, indicating disease severity, prognosis, and treatment response, especially in cardiopulmonary conditions like COPD or heart failure shorter distances (e.g., \<350m) often signaling higher mortality risk, while significant changes (e.g., \>50m) suggest clinical improvement or decline, though interpretation always needs clinical context and comparison to age/gender norms.

  • 6-minute walk distanceWeek 4

    measures functional capacity by the distance walked in 6 minutes, indicating disease severity, prognosis, and treatment response, especially in cardiopulmonary conditions like COPD or heart failure shorter distances (e.g., \<350m) often signaling higher mortality risk, while significant changes (e.g., \>50m) suggest clinical improvement or decline, though interpretation always needs clinical context and comparison to age/gender norms.

  • 6-minute walk distanceWeek 12

    measures functional capacity by the distance walked in 6 minutes, indicating disease severity, prognosis, and treatment response, especially in cardiopulmonary conditions like COPD or heart failure shorter distances (e.g., \<350m) often signaling higher mortality risk, while significant changes (e.g., \>50m) suggest clinical improvement or decline, though interpretation always needs clinical context and comparison to age/gender norms.

  • The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) ScoreBaseline

    The SPPB is a measure of physical function that incorporates three components: usual gait speed measured over 4 meters, timed repeated chair rise, and standing balance with progressively narrow base of support. Each component is scored on a 0-4 scale and then summed to provide an overall score range of 0-12 - scores ranging from 0 (worst) to 12 (best).

  • The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) ScoreWeek 4

    The SPPB is a measure of physical function that incorporates three components: usual gait speed measured over 4 meters, timed repeated chair rise, and standing balance with progressively narrow base of support. Each component is scored on a 0-4 scale and then summed to provide an overall score range of 0-12 - scores ranging from 0 (worst) to 12 (best).

  • The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) ScoreWeek 12

    The SPPB is a measure of physical function that incorporates three components: usual gait speed measured over 4 meters, timed repeated chair rise, and standing balance with progressively narrow base of support. Each component is scored on a 0-4 scale and then summed to provide an overall score range of 0-12 - scores ranging from 0 (worst) to 12 (best).

  • Grip strengthBaseline

    Low handgrip strength, a key indicator in sarcopenia, is often defined as \<28 kg for men and \<18 kg for women (based on AWGS19) or even lower, depending on the study, such as \<26 kg and \<16 kg.

  • Grip strengthWeek 4

    Low handgrip strength, a key indicator in sarcopenia, is often defined as \<28 kg for men and \<18 kg for women (based on AWGS19) or even lower, depending on the study, such as \<26 kg and \<16 kg.

  • Grip strengthWeek 12

    Low handgrip strength, a key indicator in sarcopenia, is often defined as \<28 kg for men and \<18 kg for women (based on AWGS19) or even lower, depending on the study, such as \<26 kg and \<16 kg.

  • Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET)Baseline

    Evaluates how your heart, lungs, and muscles work together during physical exertion, using a treadmill or bike while monitoring breathing (mask), heart activity (ECG), and vitals (blood pressure) to diagnose causes of shortness of breath, assess heart/lung conditions like heart failure or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and determine exercise capacity, offering a comprehensive view of cardiovascular and respiratory fitness. Normal values typically range from 35 to 40 mL/kg/min for healthy middle-aged individuals, with variations based on age, sex, and training status.

  • Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET)Week 12

    Evaluates how your heart, lungs, and muscles work together during physical exertion, using a treadmill or bike while monitoring breathing (mask), heart activity (ECG), and vitals (blood pressure) to diagnose causes of shortness of breath, assess heart/lung conditions like heart failure or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and determine exercise capacity, offering a comprehensive view of cardiovascular and respiratory fitness. Normal values typically range from 35 to 40 mL/kg/min for healthy middle-aged individuals, with variations based on age, sex, and training status.