There are about 2333 clinical studies being (or have been) conducted in Ireland. The country of the clinical trial is determined by the location of where the clinical research is being studied. Most studies are often held in multiple locations & countries.
This study relates to men with hypogonadism, a condition describing a deficiency of androgens such as testosterone. Deficiency of these hormones occurs in men due to testicular (primary) or hypothalamic-pituitary (secondary) problems or may be observed in men undergoing androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer. Testosterone plays an important role in male sexual development and health, but also plays a key role in metabolism and energy balance. Men with testosterone deficiency have higher rates of metabolic dysfunction. This results in conditions such as obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Studies have confirmed that treating testosterone deficiency with testosterone can reduce the risk of some of these adverse metabolic outcomes, however cardiovascular mortality remains higher than the general population. We know that testosterone deficiency therefore causes metabolic dysfunction. However, research to date has not established the precise mechanisms behind this. In men with hypogonadism there is a loss of skeletal muscle bulk and function. Skeletal muscle is the site of many critical metabolic pathways; therefore it is likely that testosterone deficiency particularly impacts metabolic function at this site. Men with testosterone deficiency also have excess fat tissue, this can result in increased conversion of circulating hormones to a type of hormone which further suppresses production of testosterone. The mechanism of metabolic dysfunction in men with hypogonadism is therefore multifactorial. The purpose of this study is to dissect the complex mechanisms linking obesity, androgens and metabolic function in men. Firstly, we will carry out a series of detailed metabolic studies in men with testosterone deficiency, compared to healthy age- and BMI-matched men. Secondly, we will perform repeat metabolic assessment of hypogonadal men 6 months after replacement of testosterone in order to understand the impact of androgen replacement on metabolism. Lastly, we will perform the same detailed metabolic assessment in men with prostate cancer before and after introduction of a drug which causes testosterone deficiency for therapeutic purposes.
According to WHO, more than 230 million major surgical procedures are carried out under general anaesthesia each year worldwide. Despite important technological advances, airway management remains a major challenge in anaesthesiology. Data from large perspective studies on current incidence of major peri-intubation adverse events are lacking in the anaesthesia setting, especially on outcomes such as peri-intubation cardiovascular collapse, severe hypoxemia, and cardiac arrest. These events are more common in case of difficulties with airway management so that first pass intubation failure significantly increase the risks. Moreover, it has been documented that even transient hypotension during general anaesthesia, may have long-term consequences and may be associated with a worse outcome in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. The primary aim of the study is to assess the current incidence of major peri-intubation adverse events during anaesthesia in patients undergoing elective or emergency surgery and in the setting of nonoperating room anesthesia. The secondary aim is to assess the current practice of airway management during anesthesia worldwide. STARGATE Study will be a large international observational study recruiting all consecutive adult (≥ 18 years old) patients undergoing general anesthesia in operating room and outside operating room. Primary outcome will be a composite of cardiovascular collapse, cardiac arrest and severe hypoxemia.
This research project will investigate the effects of two 6-week adductor (hip muscle) exercise programmes on adductor muscle function and performance. Measures of adductor muscle strength and performance (jump height, hopping and sprint) and self reported hip and groin function using a questionnaire will be recorded pre and post a 6-week period. A group of footballers will be recruited and randomly allocated to an intervention or control group. Two different intervention groups will complete two different, six-week adductor exercise programmes in addition to their regular training programme. The exercise programmes will last 15 minutes (approximately) per session, with 3 sessions per week. The control group will continue their regular training programme.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 10% of all women, and it usually co-exists with high levels of sex hormones called androgens, such as testosterone. Women with PCOS are at increased risk of metabolic complications such as diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, high blood pressure and heart disease. However, very little is understood about how androgen excess may drive the metabolic complications observed in women with PCOS. Skeletal muscle is an important site of energy metabolism; increasingly, it is suspected that skeletal muscle energy balance is adversely impacted by androgens, thereby driving metabolic complications. To take this theory forward, we want to investigate the effects of androgens on muscle energy metabolism. We will perform detailed metabolic testing (including blood tests and muscle biopsies) in women with PCOS before and after taking tablets that block the action of testosterone for 28 days. In addition, we will be using a gold standard technique to see how women with PCOS metabolise fat and other nutrients by measuring markers in blood and breath samples after a breakfast test meal. This clinical research will increase our understanding of the complex relationships between hormonal abnormalities and metabolic disease in women with PCOS.
The goal of this observational study is to learn about how a prescribed Exercise Training Program would affect children living with a Fontan circulation. From birth, the children who are born with single functioning ventricle will undergo 3-staged Fontan surgery to achieve a unique Fontan circulation, supported by one functioning ventricle. With advancement in surgical technique and medical care, there are increasing number of children living with Fontan circulating surviving into adulthood. A significant number of these individuals develop complications in their adulthood due to problems related to this unique circulation, including reduced exercise tolerance, heart failure, abnormal heart rhythm or premature death. Many of these children have acquired sedentary lifestyle, and may have lower self-perceived health related quality of life. Exercise training is a well-established therapy used in adult population with heart failure. It has been shown to be safe in children with congenital heart disease and with Fontan circulation, it improves their aerobic exercise capacity which is associated with better outcomes. The main question[s] it aims to answer are the impact of a Exercise Training program on: 1. Single ventricle function 2. Exercise capacity 3. Self-perceived quality of life 4. Skeletal muscle mass Participants will be given a 20-weeks exercise program, 3 sessions of 30 minutes workout weekly, to carry out at home. The following tests will be performed prior to starting and upon completion of the exercise program: - Echocardiogram - Cardiopulmonary exercise test - Body composition scan using a bio-impedance analyser - Quality of life questionnaires
This study proposes an approach to address an urgent unmet need in clinical practice, namely a pragmatic method of establishing what is the cause of a patient's complaint and the next steps to address this problem. In this study, the investigators will compare the proposed classification with current best practice of self-report, spirometry and FeNO. The investigators will compare the two approaches with a gold standard of deep characterisation by 3 separate diagnostic tests. The investigators hypothesize that patients with symptoms of respiratory disease fall into one of four working groups based on accurate knowledge of three parameters, airflow, treatment use and the patient's symptoms.
Chronic spontaneous urticaria and angioedema (CSUA) is a disease of the skin characterised by hives, swellings or both that last longer than 6 weeks. People with this disease commonly describe poor sleep, reduced quality of life and psychological difficulties such as depression and anxiety. This study seeks to understand relationships between physical activity, sleep and symptoms of urticaria. We are asking individuals with urticaria to wear a fitbit tracker which monitors their physical activity and sleep. Participants also download an app onto their smartphone called Athena CX which is designed by the study team in DCU. The purpose of the app is capture real-time information from participants on mood and any skin symptoms they experience. We will use this information to learn more about possible links between symptoms of urticaria and lifestyle behaviours.
The treatment of locally advanced and recurrent rectal cancers is highly individualized to each patient and their pattern of disease, and this decision is often made at the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) meeting . The PelvEx collaborative was designed with the intent to provide greater international consensus on appropriate treatment decisions for this cohort. However, we propose that international variation exists in how certain patients will be evaluated, assessed and ultimately treated despite having the same disease. We plan to measure this variation in order to provide a greater understanding of the differences that exist.
Tracheal intubation (TI) is associated with a high risk of adverse events in critically ill patients and peri-intubation hemodynamic collapse is the most commonly observed. The primary aim of the PREVENTION trial is to compare the effect of the pre-emptive use of noradrenaline versus no peri-intubation use of noradrenaline on incidence of cardiovascular collapse following TI in adult critically ill patients. Patients with absolute indication or contraindication to vasopressor support will be excluded from this trial. Patients will be randomized 1:1 to a continuous infusion of noradrenaline started before induction titrated according to baseline mean arterial pressure. The primary outcome will be the incidence of cardiovascular collapse. Secondary outcomes will include lowest systolic blood pressure and cardiac arrest within 30 minutes from intubation.
A single-blinded randomized controlled trial is initiated. Four weeks of plaster cast immobilization is compared with six weeks of plaster cast immobilization in adult patients with adequately reduced distal radius fracture. Primary outcome parameters are functional outcomes measured with the Patient Rated Wrist Evaluation after 6 months of follow-up (FU). Secondary outcomes are Disability of Arm, Shoulder and Hand Score after 6 months and one year, 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey after 6 months and one year, functional outcome earlier in Follow up (6 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months, and one year), range of motion, pain level, and complications: number of re-interventions, secondary displacement, delayed and non-union.