View clinical trials related to Cardiovascular Disease.
Filter by:Evidence suggests that a diet rich in plant phenolic compounds may induce beneficial vascular effects. Coffee is a good source of phenolic compounds called chlorogenic acids (CGA), however the level of CGA is reduced during the roasting process. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of coffee roasting on vascular response. The investigators hypothesize that coffee roasted to a lesser extent will exert a favourable vascular response over more heavily roasted coffee due to the higher levels of CGA.
This study is a randomised double blind placebo controlled trial comparing Rosuvastatin with placebo in HIV positive people who are at intermediate cardiovascular risk. It is possible that HIV positive people will receive a greater benefit from statins because of their higher baseline levels of inflammation. Current Australian guidelines recommend initiation of statin therapy on the basis of cholesterol level and the presence of other risk factors for heart disease (such as diabetes) but do not take into account whether a patient is infected with HIV. This study aims to determine what benefit HIV infected people will receive from starting statin therapy earlier then currently recommended.
Subclinical inflammation is now indisputably recognized as a key etiological factor in the development of atherosclerosis and subsequent cardiovascular disease. Obesity and related dysmetabolic states including metabolic syndrome (MetS) are highly prevalent causes of subclinical inflammation. Obesity and MetS are both diet and lifestyle-related and there is a growing body of literature suggesting that specific nutrients, such as long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCn-3PUFA), may attenuate the pro-inflammatory state associated with these conditions. However, careful review of existing literature on this topic reveals important gaps in knowledge, the purported anti-inflammatory effects of LCn-3PUFA even being questioned by many. Significant confounding attributable to study design, sample size and biomarker selection may be responsible in part for inconsistencies in the literature on LCn-3PUFA and inflammation. We also found that evidence available to date (for and against) is based primarily on secondary analyses, as most of the studies published were not primarily designed to investigate inflammation as a primary outcome. It remains unclear whether the different LCn-3PUFA, primarily docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3), have similar effects on pro-inflammatory processes as almost all studies were undertaken using a mix of LCn-3PUFA. Whether efficacy of EPA and DHA is influenced by sex/gender is also unknown. Finally, a better understanding of the systemic and tissue-specific mechanisms underlying the anticipated anti-inflammatory effects of different LCn-3PUFA in MetS would also be of great value. Addressing these gaps has important public health implications, considering that LCn-3PUFA supplements are broadly and indiscriminately recommended for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. The overarching objective of the proposed research is to compare the anti-inflammatory effects of EPA and DHA in men and women with MetS.
A standard hospital meal often contains a high percentage of carbohydrates (CHO), which may not be ideal for patients with diabetes. This concern is particularly pertinent to the breakfast meal, which often contains mainly CHO. Clinical observations suggested that such diets elevate pre-lunch blood glucose (BG) values. The study team compared standard hospital "no concentrated sweets (NCS)" breakfast meals with more balanced meals. The study team hypothesized that a balanced breakfast would improve pre-lunch BG values. This 8-week pilot study was conducted at Duke Hospital on two non-ICU cardiology wards. Ward A consisted mainly of patients with a primary diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). Ward B consisted mainly of patients with a primary diagnosis of congestive heart failure (CHF). The intervention breakfast menu included 5 choices containing 40-45g of CHO. All patients on Ward A (with and without diabetes) were given the intervention breakfast for the first 4 weeks of the study, while those on Ward B received standard menus (60-75g CHO in NCS meals). After 4 weeks, the standard and intervention wards were switched. Data were collected only on patients with diabetes who were able to consume meals.
Diacylglycerol oil has been shown to lower postprandial and fasting serum triacylglycerol levels and reduce body fat. The investigators hypothesize that replacing dietary fat with diacylglycerol oil reduces excess body fat in type 2 diabetic patients and that diacylglycerol oil has a beneficial effect on cardiovascular risk factors in Chinese type 2 diabetic patients.
The field of neuroeconomics has begun to elucidate neural mechanisms underlying self-control; however, researchers have not yet harnessed neuroeconomics findings to develop interventions for improving self-control ability. The investigators are currently developing such an intervention. The investigators' approach involves using a brain-computer interface with audiovisual feedback to show people what is happening in their own brains, in real time. Through this interface, individuals are trained to increase levels of neural activity that may facilitate self-control, which, in turn, may improve the ability to exhibit self-controlled behaviors. This may increase the ability to engage in heath behaviors for which self-control is required (eg, dieting and exercising). The investigators' long-term goal is to create a tool that will help people develop the self-control needed to achieve lasting improvements in health behaviors.
The purpose of this study is to determine how a stress reduction program, called Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), compared to a health education program, improves well being and reduces the risk of heart disease in women Veterans. Recruitment completed.
Background: - Cardiometabolic diseases are medical disorders that can occur together and affect the heart. They increase the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. One disorder, psoriasis, is an inflammation that mostly affects the skin but can affect the entire body. Another disorder, atherosclerosis, is a process in which cholesterol is gradually deposited on the wall of arteries. This causes arteries to harden and become less flexible. Many cells that cause psoriasis also cause atherosclerosis. Researchers want to look at the relationship between cardiometabolic diseases and psoriasis. Objectives: - To study the relationship between psoriasis and cardiometabolic diseases. Eligibility: - Individuals at least 18 years of age who have psoriasis. Design: - Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. - Participants will have up to seven outpatient visits over the 4 years. The first visit will be a screening visit. Visits 2 will be12 months after visit 1. Visits 3, 4, and 5, will be scheduled yearly for the next 3 years. If participants have a psoriasis flare with more severe symptoms, they may have an extra visit. Those who leave the study early will have a final visit with the full series of tests. - At visits 1, 2,and 5, and any flare visits, participants will have a physical exam and medical history. They will provide blood and urine samples, as well as optional tissue biopsies. They will also have heart function tests. Imaging studies, as well as optional photographs of affected areas, will be performed. These tests will also be performed at the final visit. - At visits 3 and 4, participants will have a physical exam and medical history. They will also provide blood and urine samples, and have heart function tests.
Recovery from coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is a complex process involving physical recuperation and psychological adjustment. The high prevalence of postoperative depression in this population may threaten optimal recovery. Peer support over the recovery period has promise to mitigate this threat. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a professionally-guided telephone peer support intervention on recovery outcomes including depression, social support and health care resource utilization. In a randomized controlled trial, 185 male CABG surgery patients randomly assigned to an intervention (n=61) or usual care (n=124) group. Participants in the intervention group received weekly telephone calls from a peer volunteer over 6 weeks post discharge. At hospital discharge and at 6 and 12 weeks follow up, depression was measured using the Beck Depression Scale-II, social support was measured using the Shortened Social Support Scale and health care resource utilization was measured using items in the Postoperative Self Report of Recovery Questionnaire. Participants in the intervention group were also asked questions about their perceptions regarding peer support using the Peer Support Evaluation Inventory.
Despite advances in treatment of conventional cardiovascular risk factors, patients with kidney disease remain at high risk for fatal cardiac events. To date, kidney disease affects approximately 2 million Canadians; however, this patient population remains grossly understudied due to the complex nature of the disease. The inadequacy of the literature to address the cardiovascular-related mortality rates in those with kidney disease reflects the urgent need for investigation of novel risk factors. One cardiovascular risk factor which has recently been validated is the clinical measurement of cardiac autonomic tone (CAT). CAT refers to the amount of activity contributed by the stimulatory and inhibitory limbs of the cardiac autonomic nervous system, which work in concert with one another to control heart rate. CAT can be quantified computer analysis of heart rate over time, captured by a simple Holter electrocardiogram (ECG) recording. Abnormal CAT, which occurs when the autonomic system does not control heart rate properly in response to physical demands or stress, is associated with risk of adverse cardiovascular events in both healthy and high risk populations. It has recently been shown that patients with severe kidney disease demonstrate significant CAT abnormalities, thus exaggerated susceptibility to cardiac death. Vitamin D (VD) deficiency is also common in this patient population due to the fact that the kidney plays a crucial role in VD metabolism. Given that VD deficiency is an established cardiovascular risk factor on its own, it is possible that kidney disease patients experienced compounded risk due to the combination of VD deficiency and abnormal CAT. However, no study has ever investigated whether VD deficiency influences CAT in healthy or diseased populations. To our knowledge, this will be the first trial to ever examine the effect, if any, of different VD supplementation treatments (standard of care vs. combination) on CAT in a population burdened with overwhelming risk and incidence of cardiovascular and sudden cardiac death risk.