View clinical trials related to Atherosclerosis.
Filter by:Homocysteine (Hcy) and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) have recently been recognized as potential risk factors for atherosclerosis in the general population, and the metabolism of each of these substances seems to be closely related. This study investigates the association between these substances, and whether elevated serum levels of Hcy and ADMA would be related to a high risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events in maintenance hemodialysis (HD) patients.
It is well known that lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (bad cholesterol) is beneficial for decreasing heart attacks and death. More recently, focus has been on trying to raise HDL (good) cholesterol. The purpose of the present study is to determine if the addition of a sustained release preparation of niacin (Niaspan - a medicine to raise HDL cholesterol) to LDL lowering with a statin type medication results in improved vascular health. The study of the well being of one's vessel wall (endothelial function) will serve as a marker of treatment effect in the study. Hypotheses: Extended-release (ER) niacin will improve endothelial function measured as brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD - 10 end-point) and as pulse volume amplitude by pulse arterial tonometry (PAT) (20 end-point) in subjects with established atherosclerosis whose LDL cholesterol is optimally treated with statin therapy.
The advent of new antiretroviral agents, in particular Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), spectacularly reduced HIV-associated morbidity and mortality. However, new complications have appeared in HIV-infected patients treated by with HAART such as dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, and related cardiovascular complications including acute coronary syndromes, peripheral vascular disease, and stroke have been reported. A linear association has been proved between increased intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery (CCA-IMT), aortic stiffness (pulse wave velocity [aPWV]) and incidence of cardiovascular events suggesting that IMT and aPWV could be considered as an early marker of atherosclerosis. The progression of IMT has been shown to be predictive of cardiovascular events. Case control and longitudinal studies but not all have suggested an increase CCA-IMT in HIV-infected patients under HAART compared with non-HIV infected patients with different progression. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of pravastatin on CCA-IMT and aortic stiffness in dyslipidemic HIV-infected patients receiving HAART by using a high-resolution echotracking system. Patients in the pravastatin group were consecutively recruited in four department of infectious diseases if they fulfilled the following criteria : (1) HIV-infected treated with HAART for > 12 months 2) with dyslipidemia, defined as fasting serum LDL cholesterol > 160 mg/dL before initiation of pravastatin, (3) treated with pravastatin > 12 months and one more coronary risk factor. The patients in the control group were selected consecutively in the same departments among 1) HIV-infected patients treated with HAART > 12 months 2) fasting serum LDL cholesterol > 160 mg/dL 3) without lipid-lowering drugs and one more coronary risk factor. Cases and control patients were matched for age, gender and tobacco consumption. Using data from Mercie et al., inclusion of 42 patients in pravastatin and control groups was the minimum sample size needed for detection of a 6.5% difference in CCA-IMT, in a two-sided test (a = 0.05, b = 0.20). The protocol of the study, sponsored by the French Society of Cardiology was approved by the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects in Biomedical Research of Pitié-Salpétrière University hospital in Paris. Written informed consent to participate in the study was obtained from each patient.
Compared to standard treatment goals achieving lower targets for LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and blood pressure in people with diabetes will slow the progression of atherosclerosis as measured by carotid artery thickness, and reduce clinical cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes. This study is a randomized 3-year trial. The primary endpoint will be a combination of various measures of the carotid artery, (which is an easy, non-invasive way to detect cardiovascular disease) and events such as heart attacks and strokes. The study will also look at secondary endpoints such as how well the heart pumps, fat,protein and inflammatory markers in the blood,and kidney function. The study enrolled 549 American Indian men and women with diabetes, > 40 years of age and is being conducted in four field centers involving Indian Health Service/Tribal primary care facilities in Phoenix/Sacaton, Arizona; Chinle, Arizona; Rapid City/Pine Ridge, South Dakota; and Lawton, Oklahoma, with input from American Indian physicians and community members.
This trial will study the effect of rosiglitazone on the progression of atherosclerosis (hardening of blood vessels) through improvements of the sugar and fat metabolism (body buildup, breakdown and excretion of sugar and fat). Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: the first group will receive 8 mg of the study drug and the second group will be given a placebo, though neither group will know which formulation they are receiving. The study will follow both groups for one year, during which it will measure changes in blood vessel composition and activity, sugar metabolism, concentration of blood fat, and body fat distribution. This single-site study aims to enroll 50 participants.
The purpose of this study is to determine if ramipril and/or rosiglitazone retard the progression of atherosclerosis as evaluated by serial carotid intermedial thickness measurements.
This study will recruit 480 acute stroke patients with symptomatic intracranial stenosis (M1 segment of Middle cerebral artery (MCA) or basilar artery). They will be randomly assigned into cilostazol group or clopidogrel group. Every patients will take 100mg of aspirin a day additionally. The primary outcome variable of this study is Progression rate of symptomatic intracranial stenosis on magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA).
The purpose of this study is to investigate the added benefits of increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol serum levels over and above those achieved by lipid lowering therapy guided by current guidelines, in older individuals with cardiovascular disease.
The purpose of this study is to determine if rimonabant 20 mg once daily (od) administered during 18-20 months will reduce progression of coronary atherosclerosis as assessed by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) when administered on top of standard behavioral and pharmacological therapy given as needed, in patients with abdominal obesity associated with current smoking and/or metabolic syndrome.
The purpose of this study is to test whether SR123781A is a possible treatment for patients with acute coronary syndromes (heart attack) who are scheduled to undergo a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within 48 hours after inclusion in the study. Two doses of SR123781A are currently tested, each in a group of about 180 patients per group to find which is the most adequate, versus heparin and glycoprotein IIbIIIa (GPIIBIIIA) antagonist.