View clinical trials related to Cardiomyopathy.
Filter by:The prevalence of hepatic cirrhosis in Romania is very high, with a 10-year mortality of 34-66%. Upward trend of mortality is observed. It is known that cirrhosis is associated with cardiac abnormalities. These can induce several complications of cirrhosis, and increase postoperative mortality. Therefore, it is a major public health issue and research in this field should be a priority. Few studies evaluated the cardiac function in cirrhotic patients, using only conventional echocardiography. However, this allows only the late diagnosis of cardiac dysfunction, which might be already irreversible. Consequently, description of new parameters, which could detect early dysfunction, becomes essential. There is no study designed to estimate intrinsic myocardial properties in cirrhosis. New methods (Tissue Doppler and Speckle-tracking echocardiography) could be essential to detect early cardiac dysfunction. The exact role of biological markers in the diagnosis of cardiac dysfunction remains to be clarified. Impaired cardiac function coupled with augmented vascular function could be the model for cirrhotic patients. This type of ventriculo-arterial interaction has never been described. The main objectives of our project are: 1. to investigate the mechanisms which lead to cardiac dysfunction; 2. to describe new parameters for the early diagnosis of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy; 3. to describe the type of ventriculo-arterial interaction; 4. the association between biological markers and echo parameters.
The objective is to determine whether nebivolol, a beta-blockade drug, can prevent the development of heart disease in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy aged 10 to 15 year-old.
The purpose of this study is to determine if treatment with vitamin D3 of 10,000 International Units (IU) daily in vitamin D deficient patients for 6 months will improve B type natriuretic peptide (BNP), a marker of heart function, compared to placebo. The investigators also aim to determine if vitamin D helps cardiopulmonary function as evaluated by cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPX), laboratory values, strength, and quality of life in patients with stable congestive heart failure (Class II or III).
The main purpose of this research is to determine whether injecting mesenchymal precursor cells (MPC) into the heart during surgery to implant a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is safe. MPCs are normally present in human bone marrow, and have been shown to increase the development of blood vessels and new heart muscle cells in the heart. In addition, this research is being done to test whether injecting the MPCs into the heart is effective in improving heart function.
The overall purpose of this study is to determine if weight loss is beneficial for obese patients with diastolic heart failure.
Patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy may continue to experience persistent chest pain and shortness of breath despite conventional medical therapy and/or revascularization. The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of taking Ranexa versus placebo in patients with ischemic (due to blockages) cardiomyopathy treated with optimal conventional medical therapy and/or percutaneous revascularization.
Rationale: B type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a hormone released from cardiomyocytes in response to myocyte stretching and serves as a reliable biomarker in the diagnosis of cardiac dysfunction and heart failure. Recent observations speak for a distinct connection between chronic heart failure and diabetes mellitus. Objective: The study was set out to investigate the role of BNP on parameters of glucose metabolism in a placebo controlled cross-over study in healthy volunteers. Methods and Results: Ten participants (25±1 years; BMI 23±1 kg/m2; fasting glucose 83±2 mg/dL) received either placebo or 3 pmol/kg/min BNP 32 intravenously for 4h. One hour after beginning the BNP/placebo infusion, a 3h intravenous glucose tolerance test (0.33 g/kg glucose + 0.03 U/kg insulin at 20 min) was performed and plasma glucose, insulin and C peptide were frequently measured. BNP increased the initial glucose distribution volume (13±1 %BW vs. 11±1, P<0.002), leading to an overall reduction of glucose concentration (P<0.001) especially during the initial 20 min of the test (P=0.001), accompanied by a reduction of the initial C peptide levels (4.3±0.4 ng/mL vs. 4.9±0.3, P=0.015). BNP had no impact on beta cell function, insulin clearance or insulin sensitivity. Discussion: Intravenous administration of BNP increases glucose initial distribution volume and lowers plasma glucose concentrations after a glucose load without affecting beta cell function or insulin sensitivity what speaks for the concept that BNP is not diabetogenic, but improves the metabolic status in patients with heart failure. This opens new questions regarding BNP induced differences in glucose availability and signalling in several organs/tissues.
The WiCS-LV system is an alternative means to providing left ventricular stimulation for Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and performance of the WiCS-LV System in patients with indications for CRT.
The overall hypothesis of this application is that the improvement in LV ejection performance following treatment with betablockers is due, at least in part, to improvement in intrinsic myocardial contractility.
Background: - Research has shown that certain proteins in cells may be linked to higher risks of developing inflammations, tumors, and other medical problems. By examining how the blood cells of healthy volunteers respond to environmental exposures, researchers hope to better understand the relationship of genes, environmental factors, and human diseases. Objectives: - To examine how specific genes and proteins in blood cells respond to environmental exposures. Eligibility: - Healthy volunteers between 18 and 45 years of age. Design: - The study will involve one visit of 45 to 60 minutes. - Participants will be screened with a brief physical examination and finger stick to determine if they are eligible to donate blood for the study, and will complete a questionnaire about any medications or other drugs (e.g., cigarettes) they may be taking. - Participants will provide a blood sample for research purposes.