Cystic Fibrosis and Endothelial Function: At Rest and During Exercise
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2016-06-21
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Perhaps one of the most disturbing aspects of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the associated
premature death. Oxidative stress has been observed in patients with CF and exercise
intolerance has been shown to predict mortality in patients with CF, regardless of how
healthy their lungs are. A critical barrier to improving the quality of life and longevity in
patients with CF is our lack of knowledge regarding the different reasons why patients with
CF cannot exercise to the level of their peers. We have collected preliminary data to support
our central hypothesis that oxidative stress contributes to the impairment in blood vessel
function at rest and during exercise which ultimately oxygen transport and delivery resulting
in exercise intolerance. Exercise is therapeutic medicine for patients with CF and this
investigation represents a major breakthrough in the approach to begin understanding the
physiological mechanisms which contribute to exercise intolerance in these patients.