Clinical Research Directory

A Hybrid Effectiveness-implementation Evaluation on Programs Promoting Healthy Aging With Sport Exercise (PHASE Program)

The goal of this clinical trial is to provide scientific evaluation on the effects of Promoting Healthy Aging with Sport Exercise (PHASE) Programs on the functional capacity of older. Based on the participants' mental well-being and physical health status, they will be provided with several tailored exercise intervention, including 1) football training; 2) gero-technology enhanced multi-component exercise; 3) slow sports and exercise; 4) walking exercise; 5) home-based exercise. A control group is also recruited and provided with no exercise intervention.

An Effectiveness Evaluation for Pathway to Healthy Aging (Path-HA) Care on Health Status of Older Adults

The goal of this clinical trial is to provide a scientific evaluation on the effects of a protocol-driven Pathway to Healthy Aging (Path-HA) Program on promoting the health-related quality of life and functional abilities of older adults who are at risk of accelerated aging in the community. Participants will be randomized to one of the two study arms: 1) the intervention group to receive a 14-week Path-HA care intervention; and 2) the control group with no Path-HA care intervention.

Healthspan Connect Programme of Research

Healthspan Connect is a new research programme designed to understand what helps people stay healthy as they age. The programme will explore how lifestyle, environment, genetics, and social factors influence healthy ageing and overall wellbeing. The programme will recruit participants aged 12 years and older across the UK. By including adolescents, the programme aims to understand how early life behaviours and experiences shape long-term health. There is no upper age limit, and people from all backgrounds are encouraged to participate. Special pathways ensure that young participants provide consent in an age-appropriate way. Healthspan Connect is a digital and home-based study, meaning participants can take part from home using smartphones, computers, and online surveys. Participants may also be asked to collect samples such as blood, saliva, stool, urine, or other biological specimens at home using easy-to-use kits. In some sub-studies, participants may be invited to attend research visits for additional tests, scans, or clinical assessments. Family members and close contacts may also be invited to participate in some studies. Through Healthspan Connect, researchers aim to: * Identify the biological, environmental, and social factors that help people live longer, healthier lives. * Understand how different groups, including those historically underrepresented in research, experience ageing. * Explore ways to support behaviour changes that improve health over the lifespan. * Provide near real-time information to inform health policies and interventions. Participants may also be asked for permission to link their information with health records, education records, and environmental data to better understand health outcomes over time. This programme will serve as a flexible platform for multiple sub-studies, allowing participants to contribute to a wide range of research questions related to healthy ageing, resilience, and long-term health. All data and biological samples will be stored securely and used to advance scientific knowledge, with participant privacy carefully protected.

Healthy Older Adults Through Movement and Engagement

The HOME Project evaluates the effects of structured health dialogues with individuals aged 67-84 years in the municipality of Borgholm, Sweden. A combination of registry data and survey responses will be used to monitor quality of life, morbidity, healthcare needs, and lifestyle factors over a six-year period. Outcomes will be compared between randomized groups within Borgholm municipality and a matched control group from seven other municipalities in Region Kalmar. The project also includes an analysis of cost-effectiveness and the reach of the intervention. A qualitative interview study will explore participants' perceptions of their health, their motivations for health improvement, and their experiences of how the health dialogues may influence these aspects. In a substudy, machine learning models will be developed to predict functional decline and high healthcare needs among older adults. These models will be validated against established risk assessment tools such as the Adjusted Clinical Groups (ACG) system and the Charlson Comorbidity Index. Digital motion analysis using Skeleton Avatar Technology will be employed both independently and in combination with other variables to support model development.

Effect of 12-week Milk Fat Globule Membrane Supplementation on the Human Muscle Function of Healthy, Recreationally Active Adults

The main aim of this study is to understand if chronic supplementation (12 weeks) of a milk fat globule membrane containing supplement, called bioactive whey protein concentrate, improves human muscle function greater than a placebo supplement within a cohort of healthy, recreationally active adults. Furthermore, we aim to investigate whether any potential benefits of milk fat globule membrane are influenced by age through the assessment of 2 distinct age subgroups (young and older). We hypothesise that neuromuscular function (strength and power) will increase from pre to post within the group that consumes bioactive whey protein concentrate but not the placebo group, with a greater increase in the older group compared to the young group.

Effects of an Omega-3 Fatty Acid-based Supplement on Healthy Ageing

The goal of this randomised, double-blind placebo controlled trial is to explore tolerability and the effects of a new omega-3 fatty acid-based supplement on biological and clinical aspects relevant for healthy ageing. Participants will be asked to take a supplement or a placebo for 6 months, and to attend the clinic a total of 3 times and to perform or submit the following: * Physical examination * Muscle function tests * Cognitive testing * Questionnaire completion * Biological samples, including blood, saliva and faeces. Researchers will compare the results from the group taking the supplement to the results of the group taking a placebo to see if the supplement has an effect on biological and clinical aspects associated with healthy ageing.

APPETITE: Plant Protein and Exercise Solutions for the Prevention of Undernutrition in Older Adults.

The APPETITE Trial aims to investigate the efficacy of innovative plant protein fibre (PPF) products (developed in a previous workpackage) as part of a personalised diet with/out physical activity on appetite and incidence of undernutrition in older persons from three European countries at high risk of undernutrition.

Effects of Microcurrent Treatment With and Without Resistance Exercises

* Aim: to analyse the effects of microcurrent treatment alone, and combined with a resistance exercise programme, on muscle strength, body composition and physical functional capacity in middle-aged adults. * Methods * Randomised, balanced, double-blind parallel-group between-participants design. * Participants - non-regularly trained adults (people who do not engage regularly in physical sessions), aged 40 to 65 years old. * All participants will be invited to take part in a 6-week supervised resistance training programme that will be combined with microcurrent (MC) or sham (SH) intervention. The participants who do not accept to undergo the resistance training programme will integrate a non-exercise group involving a 6-week intervention period using the microcurrent (MC) or the sham (SH) device. The devices will be provided by Arc4Health (ARC Microtech Ltd, UK; https://arcmicrotech.com/arc4health/). The device Arc4Health has regulatory approval as a Class IIa medical device in the areas of pain management and tissue repair. The following will be analysed: 1. Microcurrent alone (MC) 2. Microcurrent with exercise (MC + RT) 3. Sham alone (SH) 4. Sham with exercise (SH + RT) * The participants who agree to take part in the training programme will have 2 sessions a week for a period of 6 weeks. The training programme involves elastic bands and is designed to increase strength and muscle mass. * Measurements of body composition (via plethysmography BodPod), strength, functional capacity, muscular structure (via non-invasive ultrasound), and immunological blood markers will be undertaken at baseline and after the 6-week intervention period.