View clinical trials related to Heart Diseases.
Filter by:The design of this study will enable an extensive evaluation of safety, tolerability, and PK-PD relationship following 4 weeks of dosing in patients with Coronary heart Disease
Cardiac stress testing with functional nuclear imaging is an invaluable technique in the diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of patients with known or suspected ischemic heart disease. Selection of the appropriate type of nuclear stress test: exercise stress Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MPI) versus pharmacologic stress MPI is crucial for not only diagnostic accuracy and prognostic evaluation, but also for sound clinical decisions and resource utilization. The Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) is a 12-item questionnaire that utilized self-reported physical work capacity to estimate peak metabolic equivalents (METs) and has been shown to be a valid measurement of functional capacity. The investigators hypothesized that the DASI may be the screening tool that evaluates functional capacity and guides selection of the optimal stress MPI study.
The apelin-APJ system is a relatively new discovery. It has generated interest in part due to it's apparent ability to counteract the renin-angiotensin system, which is frequently overactive in many cardiovascular disease. Apelin has the ability to cause blood vessels to relax, increasing their diameter and hence blood flow down the blood vessel. The researchers wish to investigate the hypothesis that an infusion of apelin will reduce the effects of angiotensin II, which is know to reduce the diameter of blood vessels.
Hypothesis - Rotigaptide will improve endothelial function in the context of endothelial dysfunction. The lining of blood vessels (endothelium) can react to hormones in the blood stream causing the blood vessel muscle to relax (vasodilatation) and allow more blood to flow. The nitric oxide and prostacyclin pathways are well documented in this process. However, evidence points to the existence of a third powerful relaxant called endothelium derived hyperpolarising factor (EDHF) but its identity and mechanism of action have proved elusive. As well as causing blood vessels to relax and more blood to flow, EDHF may be involved in the endothelium signaling, triggering release of a specialised clot dissolving factor called tissue plasminogen activator (t PA). t PA is important to ensure small clots, which are constantly being formed in the circulation, are rapidly dissolved and do not grow large enough to cause heart attacks and strokes. Evidence points towards the requirement for 'gap junctions' in the mediation of EDHF responses. Gap junctions are specialised pores which allow small molecules and charge to pass between cells. They are found between endothelial cells and the underlying muscle of the blood vessel. A drug called Rotigaptide has been developed to cause gap junctions to open. It has been safely administered in healthy volunteers and is now in a Phase II drug trial. By opening gap junctions the investigators hypothesise that it could increase EDHF mediated activity and vasodilatation. It represents a useful tool with which to examine the role of gap junctions in EDHF activity in vivo. Previously the investigators have demonstrated that rotigaptide does not contribute to endothelial function in healthy volunteers. The investigators now wish to examine the effect of rotigaptide in conditions of endothelial dysfunction. By limiting the blood flow to the arm for 20mins the ability of the blood vessel to vasodilate is impaired. By administering an intra-arterial rotigaptide infusion the investigators want to assess any functional preservation.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate a new monitor that measures cardiac output (amount of blood pumped by the heart). The system that is being tested in this study, called Endotracheal Cardiac Output Monitor (ECOM), uses electricity (impedance cardiography) to measure cardiac output and is not harmful to the patient. This study will test the accuracy and efficacy of the ECOM system in anesthetized and sedated patients who, in the normal course of clinical care in the OR or ICU, are having cardiac output measured. The investigators propose that unlike the standard system for cardiac output measurement, the ConMed ECOM System should result in a simplified, inexpensive, continuous, less-invasive, and accurate method of measuring cardiac output. Such a technique could allow the rapid diagnosis of instability in the cardiovascular system for critically ill patients.
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a serious health concern that affects millions of people in the United States. It is usually caused by atherosclerosis—a condition that occurs when fatty material and plaque build up on the walls of the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart, causing the arteries to narrow. As the arteries narrow, blood flow to the heart can slow down or stop, which can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, heart attack, or heart failure. Another component of CHD events involves inflammatory changes that result in structural breakdown of atherosclerotic plaques. Adding niacin to statin medications may be an effective way to block inflammation in the atherosclerotic plaques. This study will examine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images and blood samples of participants in the AIM-HIGH study who are taking niacin plus statins or statins alone to determine the effect of these medications on inflammation in atherosclerotic plaques.
The aim of this research is to apply cardiac tissue characterization in order to assess left ventricular function in cardiac surgical patients pre and post cardiopulmonary bypass. The procedures to be used include a retrospective review of transesophageal images obtained during conventional intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) for cardiac surgery, as well as a secondary analysis with Tissue Doppler. The results will be compared with hemodynamic data obtained from a pulmonary artery catheter (PAC).
Obesity is a serious health problem among Mexican American women. Obesity combined with a lack of physical activity can increase the risk for several diseases, including heart disease. This study will evaluate a program that aims to increase physical activity levels among women of Mexican origin in Columbia, South Carolina and the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
The study research is to analyse brief episodes of limb ischemia applied to children the day before open heart surgery as protection from myocardial injury induced by extracorporeal circulation.
Since the advent of coronary stents, in-stent restenosis has proven to be the major limitation of interventional cardiology, occurring in as many as 30% of patients. Drug-eluting stents are specifically designed to prevent the problem of in-stent restenosis. They consist of a selective anti-proliferative drug, sirolimus, a controlled-release polymer, and a closed-cell stent delivery platform. Upon placement, sirolimus elutes into the vessel wall and stops the process of neointimal hyperplasia, thereby significantly reducing the incidence of in-stent restenosis. The study "Economic Evaluation of the German Drug-Eluting Stent Registry" examines the cost-effectiveness of drug-eluting stents compared to bare-metal stents (BMS) in patients with coronary stenosis. The goal of the study is to examine whether the guideline-supported implantation of SES, despite the higher initial cost, improves the quality and economic outcomes of the treatment of patients with coronary stenosis. Secondarily, the study evaluates patient quality of life, impairment of daily activities, and re-intervention rates.