Recruiting

Exercise with LIGHT

Sponsor:

Northwestern University

Code:

NCT06399900

Conditions

Peripheral Artery Disease

Peripheral Vascular Disease

Aging

Walking, Difficulty

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 50+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Far red light therapy

Sham light therapy

Home-based walking exercise

Study Details

Brief summary:

The ENLIGHTEN PAD Trial will collect preliminary data to test whether daily 660 nm light treatment of the lower extremities immediately before home-based walking exercise sessions improves six-minute walk distance at 4-month follow-up, compared to sham light, in people with lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Conditions

Peripheral Artery Disease

Peripheral Vascular Disease

Aging

Walking, Difficulty

Study ID

NCT06399900

Start date

Aug 12, 2024

Status verified date

Apr, 2026

Completion date

Jan 31, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Sep 30, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 50+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

First, all participants will be age 50 and older. Second, all participants will have PAD. PAD will be defined as:

1. An ABI <= 0.90 at baseline.
2. Vascular lab evidence of PAD (such as a toe brachial pressure <= 0.70 or an ankle brachial index less than or equal to 0.90), or angiographic evidence of PAD defined as at least 70% stenosis of an artery supplying the lower extremities.
3. An ABI of >0.90 and <= 1.00 who experience a 20% or greater drop in ABI in either leg after the heel-rise test.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Above- or below-knee amputation
2. Critical limb ischemia defined as an ABI <0.40 with symptoms of rest pain
3. Wheelchair confinement or requiring a walker to ambulate
4. Walking is limited by a symptom other than PAD
5. Current foot ulcer on bottom of foot
6. Failure to successfully complete the study run-in
7. Planned major surgery, coronary or leg revascularization during the next four months
8. Major surgery, coronary or leg revascularization or major cardiovascular event in the previous three months
9. Major medical illness including lung disease requiring oxygen, Parkinson's disease, a life-threatening illness with life expectancy less than six months, or cancer requiring treatment in the previous two years. \[NOTE: potential participants may still qualify if they have had treatment for an early stage cancer in the past two years and the prognosis is excellent, unless the cancer is located in the lower extremities. Participants who require oxygen only at night may still qualify.\]
10. Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) score < 23
11. Non-English speaking
12. Participation in or completion of a clinical trial in the previous three months. \[NOTE: after completing a stem cell or gene therapy intervention, participants will become eligible after the final study follow-up visit of the stem cell or gene therapy study so long as at least six months have passed since the final intervention administration. After completing a supplement or drug therapy (other than stem cell or gene therapy), participants will be eligible after the final study follow-up visit as long as at least three months have passed since the final intervention of the trial.\]
13. Visual impairment that limits walking ability.
14. Six-minute walk distance of <400 feet or >1700 feet.
15. Participation in a supervised treadmill exercise program or a cardiac rehabilitation program in previous three months or planning to begin a supervised treadmill exercise program or a cardiac rehabilitation program in the next five months.
16. Unwilling to avoid red light therapy outside of study participation.
17. Baseline blood pressure <100/45.
18. In addition to the above criteria, investigator discretion will be used to determine if the trial is unsafe or not a good fit for the potential participant.

Study Design

Enrollment

32 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Far red light therapy + home-based walking exercise

Subgroup of participants receiving home-based walking exercise and the 670 nm far red light device

sham comparator: Sham therapy + home-based walking exercise

Subgroup of participants receiving home-based walking exercise and the sham light device, far red light device covered with blue filter paper to block 670 nm light, resulting in mean power generated of 0.24 mW/cm2, compared to 26.3 mW/cm2 for the intervention, a 100-fold difference.

Interventions

Far red light therapy

All participants will receive one far red light device per leg. Participants will be asked to use their two light devices daily, exposing their bare legs to the devices for 10 minutes twice per day. An unblinded study coordinator will deliver the light devices to each participant's home, positioning the devices 15 cm behind the participant's heels, using tape on the floor to mark where the light and feet should be positioned. Twice each day, the participant flips a switch on the device to begin each session. A timer will turn off the device after 10 minutes. A power meter will measure the total time that the device was turned on. Participants will also record use of the light in a log.

Sham light therapy

All participants will receive one sham device per leg. Participants will be asked to use their two light devices daily, exposing their bare legs to the devices for 10 minutes twice per day. An unblinded study coordinator will deliver the light devices to each participant's home, positioning the devices 15 cm behind the participant's heels, using tape on the floor to mark where the light and feet should be positioned. Twice each day, the participant flips a switch on the device to begin each session. A timer will turn off the device after 10 minutes. A power meter will measure the total time that the device was turned on. Participants will also record use of the light in a log.

Home-based walking exercise

This study involves a 16 week intervention where participants will walk at home for exercise with guidance from a study coach. Participants will have 4 in-person visits in the first four weeks and then have weekly phone calls in the last 12 weeks of the intervention with their coach.

Primary outcome measure

  • Six-Minute Walk Distance [ Time Frame: Measured at baseline and 4-month follow-up ]
  • Six-Minute Walk Distance [ Time Frame: Measured immediately after the first light treatment (within 15 minutes after the first treatment, acute effect) ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Locations

Northwestern University

Recruiting

Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60611

Contacts

More Information

Sponsor

Northwestern University

Last update posted

Apr 15, 2026

Last verified

Apr, 2026

Keywords

  • light therapy
  • peripheral artery disease
  • exercise

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Northwestern University on 2026-04-15.