Does beetroot juice improve walking in people with lung disease and low oxygen levels?

ISRCTN ISRCTN14888729
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN14888729
Secondary identifying numbers N/A
Submission date
03/07/2015
Registration date
14/07/2015
Last edited
18/07/2023
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Respiratory
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English Summary

Background and study aims
Despite optimum medical treatment, many patients with lung disease remain significantly disabled. There is evidence that dietary nitrate supplementation can reduce the oxygen needed during exercise but it is not clear if this improves the amount of exercise that a person can do. The purpose of this project is to investigate whether dietary nitrate supplementation in the form of a single dose of beetroot juice can improve the distance that people with lung disease who are dependent on oxygen can walk.

Who can participate?
Adults with lung disease who need to use oxygen when they walk.

What does the study involve?
Participants are randomly allocated into one of two groups. Those in group 1 are given 140 ml of nitrate-rich beetroot juice (0.8 g nitrate) to drink. Those in group 2 are given 140 ml of placebo (nitrate-depleted beetroot juice). All participants are then asked to do a walking test (called an “endurance shuttle walk”). How long each participant can walk for and the effects of the nitrate-rich beetroot juice on heart rate and amount of oxygen in the blood is recorded.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
The tests used are all part of routine clinical practice and no significant risks are anticipated. As this is a test of a single dose only, no direct benefit to trial participants is expected but they will be helping to advance understanding of exercise limitation and this could eventually lead to a novel therapy becoming available for them and others with their condition.

Where is the study run from?
Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust (UK)

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
October 2015 to July 2024

Who is funding the study?
Moulton Medical Foundation (Guernsey)

Who is the main contact?
Mansour Majrshi, m.majrshi22@imperial.ac.uk

Contact information

Mr Mansour Majrshi
Public

Respiratory Muscle Lab
National Heart and Lung Institute
Royal Brompton Campus
Guy Scadding Building
Dovehouse St
London
SW3 6LY
United Kingdom

Phone +44 (0)2073518029
Email m.majrshi22@imperial.ac.uk
Dr Nicholas Hopkinson
Scientific

Royal Brompton Hospital
Fulham Rd
London
SW3 6NP
United Kingdom

ORCiD logoORCID ID 0000-0003-3235-0454

Study information

Study designSeries of parallel randomised, double-blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled trial
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised cross over trial
Study setting(s)Hospital
Study typeTreatment
Participant information sheet Not available in web format, please use contact details to request a participant information sheet
Scientific titleThe effect of dietary nitrate on exercise in hypoxia
Study acronymEDEN-OX
Study hypothesisCurrent hypothesis as of 11/01/2023:
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of an acute administration of beetroot (BR) juice versus placebo beverage ingestion on plasma NO2 levels, blood pressure, exercise tolerance and fractional oxygen extraction in 4 groups of patients
1. COPD patients who are using ambulatory oxygen
2. Interstitial pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) patients who are using ambulatory oxygen
3. Pulmonary hypertension (PHT) patients who are using ambulatory oxygen
4. Adults with a history of COVID-19 and persisting breathlessness at least 3 months following the acute illness and evidence of pulmonary vascular abnormalities

The following hypotheses will be tested:
1. BR would increase plasma NO2- levels (a biomarker of NO production and availability)
2. BR will increase endurance shuttle walk time
3. BR will reduce oxygen desaturation during ESWT (area under SaO2 curve to isotime)
4. BR will reduce heart rate during equivalent exercise (area under HR curve to isotime)
_____

Previous hypothesis:
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of an acute administration of beetroot (BR) juice versus placebo beverage ingestion on plasma NO2- levels, blood pressure, exercise tolerance and fractional oxygen extraction in 3 groups of patients
1. COPD patients who are using ambulatory oxygen
2. Interstitial pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) patients who are using ambulatory oxygen
3. Pulmonary hypertension (PHT) patients who are using ambulatory oxygen

The following hypotheses will be tested:
1. BR would increase plasma NO2- levels (a biomarker of NO production and availability)
2. BR will increase endurance shuttle walk time
3. BR will reduce oxygen desaturation during ESWT (area under SaO2 curve to isotime)
4. BR will reduce heart rate during equivalent exercise (area under HR curve to isotime)
Ethics approval(s)London-Chelsea Research Ethics Committee, ref: 15/LO/0975
ConditionPatients with lung disease (COPD, interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension) who require ambulatory oxygen because of exertional desaturation and adults with a history of COVID-19 and persisting breathlessness at least 3 months following the acute illness and evidence of pulmonary vascular abnormalities
Intervention140 ml of nitrate-rich beetroot juice (containing 12.9 mmol nitrate) or nitrate-depleted placebo.
Intervention typeSupplement
Primary outcome measureAn increase in endurance shuttle walk (ESWT) time breathing oxygen at the patient's customary flow rate.
Secondary outcome measures1. Area under oxygen saturation curve to isotime during ESWT
2. Area under heart rate curve to isotime during ESWT
3. Resting blood pressure
4. Blood nitrate levels
Overall study start date01/10/2015
Overall study end date01/07/2024

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupAdult
SexBoth
Target number of participants90
Participant inclusion criteriaCurrent inclusion criteria as of 18/07/2023:
1. Adult patients with GOLD I-IV COPD who require ambulatory oxygen because of exertional desaturation
2. Adult patients with IPF who require ambulatory oxygen because of exertional desaturation
3. Adult patients with pulmonary hypertension who require ambulatory oxygen because of exertional desaturation
4. Adults with a history of COVID-19 and persisting breathlessness at least 3 months following the acute illness and evidence of pulmonary vascular abnormalities (abnormal gas transfer defined as a TLco <lower limit of normal)
_____

Previous inclusion criteria as of 11/01/2023:
1. Adult patients with GOLD I-IV COPD who require ambulatory oxygen because of exertional desaturation
2. Adult patients with IPF who require ambulatory oxygen because of exertional desaturation
3. Adult patients with pulmonary hypertension who require ambulatory oxygen because of exertional desaturation
4. Adults with a history of COVID-19 and persisting breathlessness at least 3 months following the acute illness and evidence of pulmonary vascular abnormalities
_____

Previous inclusion criteria:
1. Adult patients with GOLD I-IV COPD who require ambulatory oxygen because of exertional desaturation
2. Adult patients with IPF who require ambulatory oxygen because of exertional desaturation
3. Adult patients with pulmonary hypertension who require ambulatory oxygen because of exertional desaturation
Participant exclusion criteria1. Clinically unstable patients (within one month of exacerbation)
2. Significant comorbidity limiting exercise tolerance
3. Significant renal impairment (estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <50 ml.min-1)
4. Hypotension (systolic blood pressure <100 mmHg)
5. Pregnancy
6. Use of nitrate based medication or PDE5 inhibitors such as sildenafil
Recruitment start date01/10/2015
Recruitment end date01/06/2024

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • England
  • United Kingdom

Study participating centre

Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust
Fulham Rd
London
SW3 6NP
United Kingdom

Sponsor information

Imperial College
University/education

Regulatory Compliance
Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Room 510A
5th floor Lab Block
Charing Cross Hospital
Fulham Palace Road
London
W6 8RF
England
United Kingdom

ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/041kmwe10

Funders

Funder type

Charity

Moulton Medical Foundation

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date01/12/2024
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareYes
IPD sharing plan summaryAvailable on request
Publication and dissemination planTo be confirmed at a later date
IPD sharing planThe deidentified datasets generated during the current study will be available indefinitely to researchers upon request to Professor Nicholas Hopkinson (n.hopkinson@ic.ac.uk) once the results have been published in a scientific journal.

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Results article Results for COPD group 01/12/2021 03/12/2021 Yes No
HRA research summary 28/06/2023 No No

Editorial Notes

18/07/2023: The participant inclusion criteria have been changed.
11/01/2023: The following changes have been made:
1. The recruitment end date has been changed from 01/09/2017 to 01/06/2024.
2. The study hypothesis has been changed.
3. The condition has been changed from "Patients with lung disease (COPD, interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension) who require ambulatory oxygen because of exertional desaturation" to "Patients with lung disease (COPD, interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension) who require ambulatory oxygen because of exertional desaturation and adults with a history of COVID-19 and persisting breathlessness at least 3 months following the acute illness and evidence of pulmonary vascular abnormalities".
4. The participant inclusion criteria have been changed.
5. The public contact's details have been updated.
6. The overall trial end date has been changed from 01/10/2017 to 01/07/2024 and the plain English summary updated accordingly.
7. The intention to publish date has been changed from to.
8. The IPD sharing statement has been added.
28/12/2022: The following changes have been made:
1. The target number of participants has been changed from 60 to 90.
2. The public contact has been changed and the plain English summary updated accordingly.
03/12/2021: Publication reference added.