View clinical trials related to Endothelial Dysfunction.
Filter by:This research is NOT part of an interventional trial, however the investigators use umbilical cord after birth for isolating endothelial and smooth muscle cells for academic research.
Healthy but sedentary aging leads to increased morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular disease. This is partly due to the accumulation of Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs) and the stiffening of the myocardium and arteries. New medication has been developed to break these AGE-crosslinks to improve cardiovascular compliance. The positive influence of regular physical activity is well known for cardiovascular disease and aging. Therefore, what is the most effective intervention, physical exercise and/or new medication AGE-crosslink breakers, in improving the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular compliance and improving the endothelial function in healthy sedentary elderly.
Purpose of the study is to characterize the potential acute and long-term improvement of dietary flavanols on vascular function in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Patients will twice daily receive either a flavanol-poor or a flavanol-rich drink. In a double blind, placebo-controlled crossover study the safety, efficacy and acute beneficial effects of flavanol ingestion will be assessed in 10 patients with ESRD. In a 30 day long-term, double blind, placebo-controlled parallel study the chronic effects of dietary flavanols on vascular function in 52 patients with ESRD will be evaluated.
The purpose of this study are twofold: 1. To understand the effects of physical inactivity (sedentarism) on vascular function, insulin resistance and inflammation; 2. To assess the role of a dietary intervention (fish oil) in counteracting the effects of physical inactivity on vascular function and inflammation.
The investigators believe that relieving the oxidative stress experienced by hemodialysis patients may help improve cardiovascular health. In this study, the investigators hypothesize that administration of coenzyme Q10, as a targeted antioxidant therapy, will ameliorate the excessive oxidative stress experienced by hemodialysis patients. This will lead to improvements in biomarkers of: - oxidative stress status - inflammatory status - endothelial dysfunction
HIV infected patients treated with abacavir might have a higher risk for the occurrence of cardiovascular events. At time of writing of this protocol the underlying mechanism is not yet elucidated, however some studies find impaired endothelial function and elevated markers of chronic inflammation in these patients,suggesting a higher lever of chronic inflammation. Recently maraviroc (Celsentri®), a CCR5-receptor antagonist, became available for treatment of patients infected with HIV-1. Improvement of endothelial function may be a potential beneficial side effect of treatment with maraviroc, due to the potential reduction of immune activation and chronic inflammation as a result of blocking the CCR5-coreceptor. Moreover, treatment intensification of HAART with maraviroc in patients with suppressed plasma HIV_RNA may decrease plasma HIVRNA below the cut-off of 50 copies/ml as well. The investigators hypothesize that maraviroc intensification therapy in patients on an abacavir-containing regimen will improve endothelial function. The objectives of this study are: First, to assess the effect of addition of maraviroc to an abacavir-containing regimen on endothelial function; second, to assess the effect of this intervention on markers of immune activation and chronic inflammation, and on plasma HIV-RNA below 50 copies/ml.
Patients with the metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) are at increased risk for cardiovascular mortality and morbidity.This increased cardiovascular risk is attributed to metabolic dysregulations like impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia, abdominal obesity and arterial hypertension, which promote oxidative stress and inflammation with consecutive endothelial dysfunction causing an atherogenic environment. Aldosterone promoted end organ damage is mainly found in the cardiovascular system and the kidney. Inflammation and activation of different factors promotes fibroblast growth and matrix production resulting in myocardial fibrosis, vascular remodelling and renal fibrosis. MetSyn and aldosterone are cardiovascular risk factors and it is of crucial importance to note that there is a connection between MetSyn and aldosterone. Other cross sectional studies show a direct correlation of aldosterone levels and impaired glucose metabolism in patients with and without the MetSyn. Taken together, aldosterone influences essential parameters of the MetSyn. Coincidentally parameters of the MetSyn are stimulus for an increased aldosterone synthesis, i.e. visceral adipocytes. In large scale clinical trials - RALES, EPHESUS, 4E - inhibition of MR has proven to be beneficial in patients with congestive heart failure and post myocardial infarction and this result has been confirmed for diabetic patients, who are known to have an increased cardiovascular risk. There is only very limited data on the impact of MR inhibition on metabolic, endocrine, and inflammatory parameters in patients with MetSyn, who have not yet suffered from cardiovascular events.
Cigarette smoking is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and is the leading cause of premature mortality in the US. The detrimental effects of smoking on vascular dysfunction are attributed to the effects of smoke itself and the inflammatory responses it induces. Smoking cessation restores vascular function by alleviating these stress responses. However, smoking cessation with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), the prevailing approach to mitigate tobacco dependence, fails to allow full restoration of vascular function. Thus, a critical public health problem exists to understand how NRT prevents restoration of vascular function and how these NRT-mediated impairments can be overcome by using gamma-tocopherol (g-T) as an innovative co-therapy. The objective of this study is to conduct a clinical intervention trial that aims to reduce CVD risk by defining how smoking cessation and g-T restore vascular function. The hypothesis is that smoking cessation and dietary g-T supplementation will synergistically restore smoking-induced impairments in vascular function by ameliorating oxidative/nitrosative stress responses, and that g-T will facilitate full restoration of vascular function otherwise precluded by NRT. A placebo-controlled, g-T intervention study will be conducted in cigarette smokers undergoing nicotine-free or NRT smoking cessation. Prior to and after 24 h and 7 days of placebo or g-T administration, vascular function will be evaluated using a non-invasive ultrasound technique and an array of antioxidants and biomarkers for vascular inflammation and oxidative/nitrosative stress responses will be assessed. Collectively, these studies will help identify how vascular function is regulated in individuals undergoing smoking cessation, and whether g-T can be used as a strategy to better improve vascular function during smoking cessation.
A single- center prospective observational study. This study evaluates different aspects of endothelial function. It investigates the endothelial leakage with the venous occlusion plethysmography and the flow-mediated vasodilatation by ischaemia reperfusion testing.
In the CHOC study the investigators will examine the effect of chocolate flavanols on vascular function, inflammation, oxidative stress and markers of endothelial function. The effects of both acute consumption and prolonged consumption will be studied. The secondary objectives are to investigate if daily intake of chocolate flavanols for 4 weeks will improve the response to a high fat/high energy challenge.