Hypertension, SystolicAPCIQ-BPNCT05903950
Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease in Qatar: an Interventional Study to Reduce Blood Pressure
A study testing Air cleaners with HEPA filter and Air cleaners without HEPA filter in people with Hypertension, Systolic and Metabolic Syndrome, run by Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar at 1 site in Qatar.
Trial 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 one week in patients with metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes residing in Qatar. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Hypertension, Systolic, Metabolic Syndrome, Typ 2 Diabetes
- What is being tested?
- Air cleaners with HEPA filter and Air cleaners without HEPA filter
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 100 participants
- Where
- 1 siteQatar
- Study dates
- 3 Nov 2024to Dec 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Age ≥18 and less than 65 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 one week)
- Either:
- Type 2 diabetes patients (HbA1c > 6.5%) OR Non-type 2 diabetes patients with two or more additional criteria for the metabolic syndrome,
- Waist circumference ≥102 cm if male and ≥88 cm if female
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- 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 (or taking an antidiabetic medication)
Who cannot join
- Pregnancy (self-reported)
- ≥stage 4 kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 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 ACs of the residence (self-reported) or individual use of HEPA filter filter
- Unable to comprehend/sign an informed consent
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- Lung disease requiring oxygen
- Cancer receiving treatment.
- Type 1 diabetes or MODY diabetes
- Screening visit: BP ≥160/100 mm Hg
- Medication changes in the past week. If participants are on medications for high BP or hyperlipidemia, they will need to have had stable therapy for at least one week 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.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Qatar1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Hamad Medical Corporation
Doha
Jassim Al-Suwaidi, MD, +974 4439 5354, jalsuwaidi@hamad.qa
Charbel Abi Khalil, MD, PhD
About this study
Official title: Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease in Qatar: an Interventional Study to Reduce Blood Pressure: the APCIQ-BP Trial
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 one week in patients with metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes residing in Qatar.
Read the 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.
- Conditions
- Hypertension, Systolic, Metabolic Syndrome, Typ 2 Diabetes
- Being tested
- Air cleaners with HEPA filter, Air cleaners without HEPA filter
- Keywords
- hypertension, metabolic syndrome, air pollution, Type 2 Diabetes
- Medical subject headings
- Isolated Systolic Hypertension, Metabolic Syndrome, Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Air cleaners with HEPA filterDevice
PM 2.5 exposure reduction using in home portable air cleaners fitted with HEPA filters
Air cleaners without HEPA filterDevice
Simulation of PM 2.5 exposure reduction using in home portable air cleaners without HEPA filters.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Active mode | Active comparator | In home use of portable air cleaners with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter for one week. Receives: Device: Air cleaners with HEPA filter |
| Sham mode | Sham comparator | In home use of portable air cleaners without a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter for one week. Receives: Device: Air cleaners without HEPA filter |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Systolic Blood Pressure
Mean change from baseline in systolic blood pressure
Measured: week 1, week 3
Secondary outcomes (2)
Change in Fasting Glycemia
Mean change from baseline in fasting glycemia
Measured: week 4, week 10
Change in Insulin Resistance Index
Mean change from baseline in Insulin Resistance Index
Measured: week 4, week 10
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted15 Jun 2023
- Study start3 Nov 2024
- Primary completionDec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Hypertension, SystolicStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Hamad Medical Corporation
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Charbel Abi Khalil, MD, Principal investigator, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05903950
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 22-00009
- Acronym
- APCIQ-BP
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 5 Jun 2023
- Last updated
- 23 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Individual participant data that underlie the results reported in the article, after de-identification (test, tables, figures, and appendices).
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 23 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease in Qatar: an Interventional Study to Reduce Blood Pressure: the APCIQ-BP Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05903950
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- APCIQ-BP / 22-00009
- Conditions
- Hypertension, Systolic, Metabolic Syndrome, Typ 2 Diabetes
- Keywords
- hypertension, metabolic syndrome, air pollution, Type 2 Diabetes
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Weill Cornell Medical College in QatarUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Hamad Medical Corporation
- Study start
- 3 Nov 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 15 Jun 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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 one week in patients with metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes 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.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Active mode | Active comparator | Device: Air cleaners with HEPA filterIn home use of portable air cleaners with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter for one week. |
| Sham mode | Sham comparator | Device: Air cleaners without HEPA filterIn home use of portable air cleaners without a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter for one week. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (9 listed)
- Age ≥18 and less than 65 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 one week)
- Either:
- Type 2 diabetes patients (HbA1c > 6.5%) OR Non-type 2 diabetes patients with two or more additional criteria for the metabolic syndrome,
Key exclusion criteria (13 listed)
- Pregnancy (self-reported)
- ≥stage 4 kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 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 ACs of the residence (self-reported) or individual use of HEPA filter filter
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Air cleaners with HEPA filterPM 2.5 exposure reduction using in home portable air cleaners fitted with HEPA filters | Device | Active mode |
| Air cleaners without HEPA filterSimulation of PM 2.5 exposure reduction using in home portable air cleaners without HEPA filters. | Device | Sham mode |
Primary outcome
Change in Systolic Blood Pressure
Time frame: week 1, week 3
Mean change from baseline in systolic blood pressure
2 secondary outcomes
Change in Fasting Glycemia
Time frame: week 4, week 10
Change in Insulin Resistance Index
Time frame: week 4, week 10
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 23 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Individual participant data that underlie the results reported in the article, after de-identification (test, tables, figures, and appendices).
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Charbel Abi Khalil, MD principal investigator
Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Air cleaners with HEPA filter and Air cleaners without HEPA filter in people with Hypertension, Systolic and Metabolic Syndrome, run by Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar at 1 site in Qatar.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 9 inclusion and 13 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 23 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Qatar. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Charbel Abi Khalil, MD (+974 4492 8484, cha2022@qatar-med.cornell.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in Systolic Blood Pressure (time frame: week 1, week 3). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 23 Oct 2026.