Breathing Exercises for Dyspnea and Anxiety in Heart Failure

NCT07752706 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: E-74555795-050.04-1248939
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 112
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Heart failure is a leading cause of emergency department admissions, with dyspnea and psychological distress being among the most common presenting symptoms. This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effect of nurse-guided diaphragmatic breathing and pursed-lip breathing exercises on dyspnea and psychological distress in patients presenting to the emergency department with heart failure. A total of 112 eligible participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either an intervention group receiving breathing exercises in addition to standard care or a control group receiving standard care alone. Dyspnea severity will be assessed using the Modified Borg Dyspnea Scale, and psychological distress will be assessed using the Distress Thermometer at predefined time points. The findings are expected to provide evidence for the effectiveness of a simple, low-cost, nurse-led non-pharmacological intervention in improving symptom management in patients with heart failure.

Conditions

Breathing Exercises; Dyspnea; Anxiety; Heart Failure

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change in psychological distress measured by the Distress Thermometer

  Psychological distress will be assessed using the Distress Thermometer

  Baseline (before intervention), and at 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes after initiation of the intervention.

• Change in dyspnea severity measured by the Modified Borg Dyspnea Scale

  Dyspnea severity will be assessed using the Modified Borg Dyspnea Scale

  Baseline (before intervention), and at 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes after initiation of the intervention.

Study Arms (2)

Control

NO INTERVENTION

No Intervention

Experimental

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Diaphragmatic and Pursed-Lip Breathing Exercises

Other: Diaphragmatic and Pursed-Lip Breathing Exercises

Interventions

Diaphragmatic and Pursed-Lip Breathing Exercises OTHER

Participants received standard emergency department care plus nurse-guided diaphragmatic breathing and pursed-lip breathing exercises. The intervention consisted of three cycles of breathing exercises with rest periods between cycles. Participants were observed and supported throughout the intervention.

Experimental

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Applicants must be 18 years of age or older. Volunteer to participate in the study. Present to the emergency department of the hospital where the study is planned to be conducted.
• Having been diagnosed with NYHA stage III-IV heart failure by a physician. Being able to understand and speak Turkish.

You may not qualify if:

• Being under 18 years of age Not being a volunteer to participate in the study Using narcotic analgesics to a degree that affects understanding questions and communication, Having a diagnosis of serious mental illness Not having been diagnosed with NYHA stage III-IV heart failure by a physician

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa: lead

Study Sites (1)

İstanbul Üniversitesi-Cerrahpaşa

Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Heart Failure; Dyspnea; Anxiety Disorders

Interventions

Contraceptive Devices, Female

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Heart Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Respiration Disorders; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Signs and Symptoms, Respiratory; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Contraceptive Devices; Equipment and Supplies

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Due to the nature of the breathing exercise intervention, participants and the investigator delivering the intervention could not be blinded. To minimize bias, data were coded as Group A and Group B, and statistical analyses were performed by an independent statistician who was blinded to group allocation.
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: phd student

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 11, 2026
• First Posted: August 7, 2026
• Study Start: March 5, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 5, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 5, 2026
• Last Updated: August 7, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share

Locations

TU (1)