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Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease in Qatar: an Interventional Study to Reduce Blood Pressure

Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease in Qatar: an Interventional Study to Reduce Blood Pressure: the APCIQ-BP Trial

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05903950
Acronym
APCIQ-BP
Enrollment
100
Registered
2023-06-15
Start date
2024-11-03
Completion date
2026-12-01
Last updated
2026-08-20

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Hypertension, Systolic, Metabolic Syndrome

Keywords

hypertension, metabolic syndrome, air pollution

Brief summary

The main objective is to determine if in-home portable air cleaners provide persistent reductions in PM2.5 exposures and improvements in systolic blood pressure and biochemical parameters over 4-weeks in patients with metabolic syndrome residing in Qatar.

Detailed description

Chronic cardio-metabolic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes contribute disproportionately to global morbidity and mortality and are increasing believed to have multiple environmental influences. PM2.5 is the fifth leading risk factor for global mortality - largely due to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Reducing personal exposure to air pollution has shown promise in improving key cardiovascular risk factors (blood pressure and insulin resistance) in limited studies, but durability of these effects is not known. Personal air cleaners have been shown to decrease personal exposure to PM2.5 and reduce blood pressure in small studies and may serve as a pragmatic intervention in high-risk patients in whom air pollution is a strong contributor to cardiovascular health.

Interventions

DEVICEAir cleaners with HEPA filter

PM 2.5 exposure reduction using in home portable air cleaners fitted with HEPA filters

DEVICEAir cleaners without HEPA filter

Simulation of PM 2.5 exposure reduction using in home portable air cleaners without HEPA filters.

Sponsors

Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar
Lead SponsorOTHER
Hamad Medical Corporation
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
Case Western Reserve University
CollaboratorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 60 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Non-smokers (100% abstinence from use of any smoking or vaping product during the prior year) * Age ≥18 and less than 60 years old * Living in a single residence (home, apartment) located anywhere in Qatar * Mild systolic hypertension: screening visit systolic BP 130 to 159 mm Hg (off treatment or taking ≤ 2 BP medications that have been stable without changes during prior 4 weeks) plus ≥ 2 more additional criteria for the metabolic syndrome: * Waist circumference ≥102 cm if male and ≥88 cm if female * Fasting triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL (or taking a triglyceride-lowering medication) * HDL-C ≤ 40 mg/dL if male and ≤ 50 mg/dL if female (or taking an HDL-raising medication), * Fasting glucose ≥100 mg/dL

Exclusion criteria

* Pregnancy (self-reported) * Screening visit urine positive for cotinine (NicAlert \>100 ng/mL) * Living with an active smoker who smokes indoors (by self-report) * High risk conditions that prohibit allowing home BP to be \>130/80 mm Hg during the10-week trial including any cardiovascular disease (coronary artery disease, prior stroke, heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, aneurysm) or ≥ stage 3 kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate \< 60 ml/min) * A medical condition placing the participant at risk from participation (per investigators) * Expected overnight travel outside their residence during the study * HEPA filter within the air conditioners of the residence (self-reported) or individual use of HEPA filter * Unable to comprehend/sign an informed consent * Lung disease requiring oxygen * Cancer receiving treatment * Screening visit: BP ≥160/100 mm Hg or fasting blood glucose ≥126 mg/dL and confirmed diabetes with follow-up HbA1c ≥6.5%. If glucose is elevated ≥126 mg/dL but HbA1c\<6.5%, they could still participate. * Medication changes in past 4 weeks. If participants are on medications for high BP or hyperlipidemia, they will need to have had stable therapy during prior 10 weeks with no planned changes during the study * Left upper arm circumference \>17 inches as this will make BP levels inaccurate with the home monitor used * Acute illness or infectious symptoms within the prior 4 weeks.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in Systolic Blood Pressureweek 4, week 10Mean change from baseline in systolic blood pressure

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in Fasting Glycemiaweek 4, week 10Mean change from baseline in fasting glycemia
Change in Insulin Resistance Indexweek 4, week 10Mean change from baseline in Insulin Resistance Index

Countries

Qatar

Contacts

CONTACTCharbel Abi Khalil, MD
cha2022@qatar-med.cornell.edu+974 4492 8484
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORCharbel Abi Khalil, MD

Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Aug 21, 2026