View clinical trials related to Heart Disease.
Filter by:This study will assess the effects of an intervention targeting family caregivers who recently placed a relative in a long-term care facility because of cognitive and/or physical disability. In a two group randomized clinical trial we predict that caregivers assigned to active treatment will have lower levels of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and greater satisfaction with the long-term care facility when compared to individuals assigned to the control condition.
The primary objective of this study is to determine if quantitative Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (DCE MR) perfusion imaging accurately quantifies right and left pulmonary artery blood flow as compared with phase contrast flow velocity mapping (PC), the current gold standard of flow volume measurements.
Many stress tests being done today have two parts, the stress test and the pictures of your heart. The investigators are comparing a newer technique to obtain the pictures (PET imaging) to the standard method (SPECT imaging). However, it is not known if the new test is better than the old test. It is important to have a standard to compare these tests to, and that is why people who will be getting a cardiac catheterization are being asked to participate. The information about your arteries from the cardiac catheterization will be used to judge which stress test is better. The investigators hypothesize that the newer method (PET imaging) will be more accurate than the old method (SPECT) in detecting heart disease.
Patients with single ventricle anatomy undergo staged surgical palliation. The result is an "in series" circulation with pulmonary blood flow and cardiac output directly related to pulmonary vascular resistance. While surgical outcomes have improved, the physiology of the single ventricle palliation results in continued long term attrition. Elevated pulmonary vascular resistance and impaired systemic ventricular function are important risk factors for failure of single ventricle palliation. Sildenafil is a pulmonary vasodilator and has been shown to improve cardiac contractility in the pressure overloaded right ventricle. The investigators will assess the safety, pharmacokinetics and hemodynamic efficacy of sildenafil in single ventricle patients following stage II and III surgical palliation.
A study to examine the effectiveness of a multilevel Community Health Workers intervention as an adjunct to routine primary care in reducing CVD risk factors among diabetic Latinos in Miami.
This is an evaluative, monocentric study in patients with chronic ischemic heart disease and left bundle branch block who received an ICD-CRT. It is an early investigation on the safety and effects of a single administration of bone marrow derived mononuclear cells after implantation of an ICD-CRT device as an adjunct to CRT and usual drug treatment.
The purpose of the study is to determine whether the function of the good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) as well as its subfractions (via NMR spectroscopy) is altered among people with type 1 diabetes and a variation in the Haptoglobin gene and to evaluate whether vitamin E supplements may improve this function.
Impairment of the heart's pumping capacity (heart failure) remains a major clinical problem with a poor prognosis and the search for novel treatments remains an important area of research. Urocortins are proteins that appear to increase blood flow and heart pumping activity. There has been particular interest in the role of Urocortins 2 & 3 (subtypes of Urocortins) in heart failure. In this study, we will examine the effects and mechanisms of Urocortins 2 & 3 on forearm blood flow and release of natural blood clot dissolving factors in the forearm circulation of healthy volunteers. In particular, we look at the endothelial mechanisms of vasodilatation of Urocortin 2 and 3. In this study, we will look at the role of the lining of the blood vessel (endothelium) in response to urocortin types 2 and 3. We hypothesise that urocortins 2 & 3 act via the endothelium to cause dilatation of the blood vessels and release of tissue-plasminogen activating factor (blood clot dissolving factor). We also hypothesise that urocortins have a role in maintaining the normal baseline level of blood flow in forearm arteries. In addition to the above, we will also look at the effect of temporarily blocking the effect of urocortins, using a specially designed blocker drug (Astressin 2B). Utilising the well-established technique of 'forearm venous occlusion plethysmography', we will be able to focus on the local effects of urocortins on arterial blood flow in forearm vessels, without affecting this system in the body as a whole.
Impairment of the heart's pumping capacity (heart failure) remains a major clinical problem with a poor prognosis and the search for novel treatments remains an important area of research. Urocortins are proteins that appear to increase blood flow and heart pumping activity. There has been particular interest in the role of Urocortins 2 & 3 (subtypes of Urocortins) in heart failure. In this study, we will examine the effects and mechanisms of Urocortins 2 & 3 and the Corticotrophin Releasing Hormone Receptor Type 2 (CRH-R2) receptor (through which urocortins act) on forearm blood flow and release of natural blood clot dissolving factors in the forearm circulation of healthy volunteers. In this study, we will look at the role of the lining of the blood vessel (endothelium) in response to urocortin types 2 and 3. We hypothesise that urocortins 2 & 3 act via the endothelium to cause dilatation of the blood vessels and release of tissue-plasminogen activating factor (blood clot dissolving factor). We also hypothesise that urocortins have a role in maintaining the normal baseline level of blood flow in forearm arteries. In addition to the above, we will also look at the effect of temporarily blocking the effect of urocortins, using a specially designed blocker drug (Astressin 2B). Utilising the well-established technique of 'forearm venous occlusion plethysmography', we will be able to focus on the local effects of urocortins on arterial blood flow in forearm vessels, without affecting this system in the body as a whole.
Ultrasound (US) is widely used as a diagnostic tool in a hospital setting. In a medical department, diagnosis like heart failure or most kinds of heart diseases, hypervolemia, hypovolemia, pleural effusion, pericardial effusion, ascites, diseases in the gall bladder/bile tract, urine tract and venous thrombosis are common. US is the key diagnostic tool in these diagnosis, and on early diagnosis is crucial both on behalf of the patients well-being, and for hospital logistic reasons. 1. The aim is to study the clinical use of pocket sized US as a screening diagnostic tool in an department of internal medicine. Method: All patients admitted (in certain preset periods) to Department of medicine will be screened with pocket sized US by expert user. Changes in diagnoses, as well as medications as a result of US screening will be the endpoints. US findings will be validated against standard echocardiography, or standard US/CT/MRI performed at the Radiological department. 2. The aim is to study the clinical use of pocket sized US as a screening diagnostic tool in a department of cardiology. Method: All patients admitted (in certain preset periods) to Department of cardiology will be screened with pocket sized US for heart disease, pericardial and pleural effusion. Examinations by expert users. Specific findings could be myocardial dysfunction as heart failure, cardiomyopathies, regional dysfunction due to ischemia, valvular dysfunction, atrial enlargement, and pleural/pericardial effusion. Changes in diagnoses, as well as medications as a result of US screening will be the endpoints. US findings will be validated against standard echocardiography in all. 3. As in 1), but examination by non-expert users compared to expert users.