Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection FractionTEST-PEFNCT06309550
Provocative Tests for HFpEF
An observational study of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction, run by Istituto Auxologico Italiano at 1 site in Italy.
Trial summary
Diagnosing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in patients complaining exertional breathlessness can be challenging: diagnostic algorithms and scores have low sensitivity, and ageing-associated comorbidities can complicate the interpretation of symptoms. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any age
- Conditions the study is for
- Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction
- What is being tested?
- exercise test
- How many people
- 500 participants
- Where
- 1 siteItaly
- Study dates
- 10 Mar 2023to Mar 2028
- How long will I take part?
- 5 Years
- Phase
- Observational
- 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 Any age
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Study population: Consecutive patients referred to the Dyspnea and Pulmonary Hypertension Center for suspicion of HF, PH or unexplained dyspnea
Who may be able to join
- dyspnea
Who cannot join
- known HFpEF
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Italy1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Ospedale San Luca IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano
Milan, 20149
Sergio Caravita, MD, PhD, +39 02 61911 2930, s.caravita@auxologico.it
About this study
Official title: Provocative Tests for Diagnosing and Phenotyping Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction
Diagnosing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in patients complaining exertional breathlessness can be challenging: diagnostic algorithms and scores have low sensitivity, and ageing-associated comorbidities can complicate the interpretation of symptoms. Thus, exercise right heart catheterization (RHC) or invasive cardiopulmonary exercise test (iCPET) have been advocated as gold-standard methods for HFpEF diagnosis. However, exercise RHC and iCPET are still not widely standardized methods, with results mainly coming from US cohorts (that may differ from Italian cohorts), and other provocative tests (e.g. non-invasive CPET, passive leg raising) may offer complementary diagnostic information.
- Being tested
- exercise test
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
exercise testDiagnostic test
exercise test
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Mortality
Incidence of mortality
Measured: 5 years
Hospitalization for heart failure
Incidence of hospitalization for heart failure
Measured: 5 years
Atrial fibrillation
Incidence of atrial fibrillation
Measured: 5 years
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 Mar 2024
- Study start10 Mar 2023
- Primary completionMar 2028 (estimated)
- Study completionMar 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection FractionStudies 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
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 500 participants (estimated)
- Target duration
- 5 Years
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06309550
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 09W002
- Acronym
- TEST-PEF
- Status last verified
- Aug 2025
- First submitted
- 7 Mar 2024
- Last updated
- 3 Aug 2025
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 3 Aug 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Provocative Tests for Diagnosing and Phenotyping Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06309550
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- TEST-PEF / 09W002
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 500 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Istituto Auxologico ItalianoUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 10 Mar 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Mar 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Mar 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 13 Mar 2024 (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.
Diagnosing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in patients complaining exertional breathlessness can be challenging: diagnostic algorithms and scores have low sensitivity, and ageing-associated comorbidities can complicate the interpretation of symptoms. Thus, exercise right heart catheterization (RHC) or invasive cardiopulmonary exercise test (iCPET) have been advocated as gold-standard methods for HFpEF diagnosis. However, exercise RHC and iCPET are still not widely standardized methods, with results mainly coming from US cohorts (that may differ from Italian cohorts), and other provocative tests (e.g. non-invasive CPET, passive leg raising) may offer complementary diagnostic information.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Target follow-up
- 5 Years
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Consecutive patients referred to the Dyspnea and Pulmonary Hypertension Center for suspicion of HF, PH or unexplained dyspnea
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- dyspnea
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- known HFpEF
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 |
|---|---|---|
| exercise testexercise test | Diagnostic test | – |
Primary outcome
Mortality
Time frame: 5 years
Incidence of mortality
Hospitalization for heart failure
Time frame: 5 years
Incidence of hospitalization for heart failure
Atrial fibrillation
Time frame: 5 years
Incidence of atrial fibrillation
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 3 Aug 2025.
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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.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction, run by Istituto Auxologico Italiano at 1 site in Italy.
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 1 inclusion and 1 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 3 Aug 2025. 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 Italy. 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. 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 Sergio Caravita, MD, PhD (+39 02 619112930, s.caravita@auxologico.it), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Mortality (time frame: 5 years). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. 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 3 Aug 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 27 Oct 2026.