View clinical trials related to Carotid Stenosis.
Filter by:Patients with rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The reason(s) for this have not been well investigated, but there is a general understanding that systemic inflammation plays a part in the increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In spite of the increased risk in these patients, they have not been included as a high risk patient group in cardiovascular prevention guidelines. The investigators have carried out a cardiovascular study of RA and AS patients, as well as patients with arthritis for the first time. The investigators have demonstrated cholesterol plaques in the carotid artery in some of these patients. Plaques in the carotid artery represent a risk for development of cerebral stroke and are significantly associated with myocardial infarction. These plaques, which are asymptomatic and do not cause haemodynamically significant narrowing, diameter reduction (i.e. operation is not indicated), are vascular atheromatous disease. Therefore, according to prevailing cardiovascular guidelines (SCORE 2007), these patients shall have secondary prevention with a lipid lowering agent with the LDL-cholesterol goal of 1.8 mmol/L and HDL-cholesterol > 1.0 mmol/L for men and > 1.1 mmol/L for women. Statins are cholesterol-lowering drugs, and have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease significantly. In addition, reduction in the size of coronary plaques has been induced by statins, when the LDL has been reduced to 1.6-1.8 mmol/l. Plaques in the carotid or coronary arteries have not previously been treated and characterized in patients with RA, AS and other inflammatory forms of arthritis. The aim of this study is to treat patients with cholesterol plaques in the carotid artery with cholesterol-lowering medication, in the form of Rosuvastatin for 18 months, and characterize the effects on the plaques in the carotid and coronary arteries. In addition, the investigators want to clarify the connection between plaques in the carotid and coronary arteries in patients with RA, AS and other inflammatory forms of arthritis.
Carotid artery plaques are known to cause stroke. Cognitive impairment is an insidious but poorly understood problem in patients with carotid plaques. Cognitive function describes how people perform mental processes such as thinking, learning and problem solving. Asymptomatic carotid plaques may affect 1 million Veterans who may be at risk for cognitive impairment. In this study, the investigators will uncover the extent of cognitive impairment in Veterans with carotid stenosis who are currently labeled "asymptomatic". Programs to prevent or mitigate cognitive impairment will depend on identifying the mechanisms by which this occurs. The investigators will use sophisticated 3D imaging techniques developed by the group to measure the structure and composition of plaques, number of particles breaking off from them, blood levels of chemicals that could disrupt them, and blood flow restriction to the brain from them. This will help identify patients at risk for cognitive impairment who may benefit from preventative measures and improve selection of patients to decrease unnecessary surgical procedures.
Subjects referred for a routine CTA (computed tomography angiography) or MRA (magnetic resonance angiography) will be invited to participate in the study and subjects will be involved in the study for between 2 and 12 days. Two to three visits to the study doctor will be required. This study will compare the diagnostic results of Gadobutrol enhanced MRA images with MRA images taken without contrast agent using images from a CTA as the standard of reference, which may have been performed up to 60 days prior to enrolment. If a CTA has not been performed in this prior time period, a CTA is required for the study. MRA and CTA images will be collected for an independent review (blinded read).
The objective of this study is to provide an ongoing evaluation of clinical outcomes associated with the GORE Flow Reversal System and the GORE Embolic Filter when used for embolic protection during carotid artery stenting.
In this prospective study, patients with carotid stenosis will be randomly assigned to one of the two surgical procedures (carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid stenting (CAS)). Pre- and postoperative neuropsychological functions, levels of several biomarkers and intraoperative embolization load will be examined. In a subgroup of patients, MRI-data will also be gathered. The mix of these data will allow us to answer several questions regarding the absence or presence of preoperative impairments, postoperative changes in cognitive performance and possible differences between CEA and CAS regarding postoperative neuropsychological functions. The use of a matched control group and implementation of a long term follow-up will contribute to the uniqueness of this study. It will meet several flaws of previous studies and will complete the ongoing randomized studies comparing CEA and CAS that are lacking neuropsychological data.
To compare the incidence of new ischemic brain injury detected with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after carotid artery stenting in patients treated with and without proximal cerebral protection (Gore Flow Reversal System).
The purpose of this study is to determine patient variables, physician presenter variables, and information variables that might affect clinical decision making in asymptomatic carotid stenosis. The hypothesis is that information variables are the most significant determinant of clinical decision making.
Stenting is an alternative to traditional surgery in the treatment of carotid stenosis.The intra and/or postprocedural cerebral embolization remains the most frequent complication. Thanks to the systematic use of cerebral protection systems, these complications have reduced.A debate concerning which cerebral protective device should be more effective is still ongoing.
Prospective, non-randomized, single-center cohort study treating internal carotid artery stenosis using the Xact Carotid Artery Stent and emboshield distal protection system in conjunction with bivalirudin as the procedural anticoagulation
The carotid arteries are blood vessels in the neck that supply blood to the brain. Carotid stenosis disease is defined as a narrowing of these arteries due to the build up of plaque. The plaque material can also break off and move into the brain. The resulting blockage of blood supply to a portion of the brain is what causes 80% of all strokes. One treatment option is to have surgery on the carotid artery and remove the plaque. This procedure is called a carotid endarterectomy (CEA). There is evidence that proves CEA reduces the risk of stroke. The objective of this research project is to determine who is most likely to benefit from CEA surgery.