View clinical trials related to Heart Disease.
Filter by:Cardiac elastography is a new technique to analyze strain and strain rates in many organ systems, including the heart. In this study, cardiac elastography derived from the analysis of raw radiofrequency data obtained from a conventional clinical echocardiograph system will be compared to processed information that comes from the same echocardiograph system. The purpose of this study is to determine if cardiac elastography can accurately determine strain and strain rates as compared to more conventional means.
Gastric emptying is delayed after cardiac surgery, but the efficacy of the nasogastric (NG) tube in preventing distension and reducing vomiting is unclear. Nasogastric (NG) tubes are routinely used in patients undergoing surgery. They are presumed to reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and to lessen the risk of aspiration by reducing residual gastric volumes; however, their insertion and use is not however without potentially serious complications. Existing literature does not address their efficacy in reducing PONV after cardiac surgery. However, current evidence suggests that up to 50% of patients in this group suffer significant nausea and vomiting. The objective of this study is to determine whether NG tubes should continue to be inserted routinely during cardiac surgery to reduce PONV.
Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction is a common manifestation of heart disease that is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality.It is present when the ventricular filling is impaired as a result of delayed relaxation or decreased compliance. During Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery, LV diastolic dysfunction is a frequent occurrence. Failure of the left ventricle to dilate normally causes an increase in LV filling pressure. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common complication after cardiac surgery affecting 20-30% of patients undergoing coronary revascularization procedures. AF is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and has been identified as a causative factor of increased length of both hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) stay after CABG surgery, resulting in increased resource utilization and medical care costs.The primary aim of this study is to determine if patients with preoperative diastolic dysfunction are exposed to higher risk of AF after coronary revascularization surgery.
Open-heart surgery frequently results in abnormal clotting, which in turn results in excessive blood loss and the need for transfusion of multiple blood products to patients and leads to adverse outcomes. Prompt identification of any clotting abnormalities after cardiac surgery reduces blood loss and blood product transfusion and may improve outcomes. Currently, however, this monitoring is dependent on standard laboratory-based tests of clotting that have a long turnaround time (30-45 min) and do not measure some important aspect of clotting. There are now other monitoring options that are carried out at patients’ bedside, providing results more quickly than standard laboratory tests (within 2-5 minutes for some), and measure more aspects of clotting, providing more information on possible causes of any abnormalities. In this study, we will compare the cost-effectiveness of two of these newer monitoring techniques with standard laboratory-based tests by assigning 150 patients who will be undergoing open-heart surgery to one of the three monitoring techniques (50 patients will be assigned by chance to each group). In each group, an explicit algorithm based on the monitoring technique of that group will be used to guide all transfusion decisions. Between-group differences in number of units of blood products transfused (primary outcome), amount of blood loss, rate of adverse events, and cost of monitoring will be measured. The objective of the study is to determine which of the three methods is most cost-effective in terms of these outcomes.
Cardiac surgery improves the survival and quality of life of people with heart disease. Nonetheless, several complications continue to adversely affect outcomes following cardiac surgery. Kidney failure is a particularly important complication that is associated with increased death and duration of hospitalization. The most severe form of postoperative kidney failure, the need for dialysis, is uncommon at present. It is however likely to increase in the future. Patients undergoing cardiac surgery are getting older with more heart failure, diabetes, high blood pressure, and pre-existing kidney disease. Given that these are risk factors for postoperative kidney injury, dialysis rates will likely increase. Although multiple therapies have been tested, none have prevented postoperative kidney failure. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a drug that is commonly used to treat Tylenol overdoses. Over the past 2 years, it has also been used to prevent kidney damage after exposure to IV dye. There is good evidence that NAC will reduce kidney damage after IV dye exposure. There are strong reasons to believe that NAC may also prevent postoperative kidney failure. NAC is safe. Its major side-effects are allergic reactions, but serious reactions are rare. Since dialysis is uncommon, large studies are needed to determine if NAC prevents postoperative dialysis. In this situation, a pilot study is needed to determine if such a large trial is feasible. This proposal describes a pilot study. We will determine NAC's effects on creatinine clearance, a measure of how well the kidney works. Reduced creatinine clearance is closely related to dialysis and death after cardiac surgery. This biological marker allows us to determine NAC's effects on kidney function with a reduced sample size. If NAC improves creatinine clearance, it would suggest that NAC prevents postoperative dialysis, and would justify a larger study. A pilot study will help us estimate how many patients will be willing to participate in similar studies, vital for planning a future large study. Finally, our results will estimate how well NAC will reduce dialysis rates. This is needed for calculating the sample size for future studies.The study design is a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial among patients undergoing bypass surgery or heart valve surgery at the Toronto General Hospital (Toronto, ON). We will recruit 176 people who are at increased risk for developing kidney failure after surgery. Participants will receive either NAC or sugar solution during their operation. If participants have returned home within a month of surgery, they will be contacted at home on the 30th day after surgery to determine if they had any kidney-related problems since returning home. All participants will return to the Toronto General Hospital (TGH) during the 8th week after surgery for creatinine blood test and weight.
N-acetylcysteine is a medication that has most commonly been used in the past to prevent liver damage after an acetaminophen overdose. N-acetylcysteine has also been used in patients with pre-existing kidney damage to prevent further kidney damage resulting from dye that is used in tests such as angiograms (dye studies). This study hopes to prove that this medication may also help to protect kidneys from the damage caused by the heart-lung machine during cardiac surgery. This damage to the kidneys happens to patients undergoing cardiac surgery requiring the use of the heart-lung machine. Kidney failure after surgery is a serious complication (2-30% of patients with kidney problems can develop it) and it can lead to short term and long-term dialysis as well as death (there is up to a 30% death rate once kidney failure develops). The study will test if intravenous N-acetylcysteine is safe and effective in preventing kidney problems after cardiac surgery using the heart-lung machine. Approximately 104 patients will be enrolled at Sunnybrook and Women’s College Health Science Centre. The study has been reviewed and approved by the ethics committee at Sunnybrook and Women’s College Health Science Centre. The study will compare the effects of N-acetylcysteine with those of placebo (salt solution). The study medication (either N-acetylcysteine or placebo) will be given in addition to your usual medication and surgical procedures.
Background: - The island of Sardinia, an Italian region, has a population that is highly interrelated. Researchers have developed the SardiNIA longitudinal study to examine the possible genetic factors that predispose individuals to diseases and to various inherited conditions. In the study, participants will be drawn from four towns in the Ogliastra region (Lanusei, Ilbono, Elini, and Arzana), and their DNA will be analyzed and compared with a long-term assessment of various health-related events. The SardiNIA study is designed to improve understanding of the genetic factors involved in age-associated diseases and disorders, and provide possible points of intervention that may help prevent diseases. Objectives: - To conduct a long-term study of genetics and epidemiology in a small and highly interrelated population. Eligibility: - Individuals at least 18 years of age (at least 14 years of age for Phase 1 of the study) who live in the province of Ogliastra in eastern Sardinia. Design: - This 10-year study will involve three phases: collecting initial blood samples and medical history (years 1 to 4), and two sets of follow-up visits to collect additional data (3 years apart). - Participants will provide detailed medical history and information for long-term study, primarily involving the following aspects: - Demographic/family and clinical variables (e.g., medications, fertility, hospitalizations and surgical procedures, age of relatives who are still alive, age and cause of death in deceased relatives) (Phase 1) - Complete physical examination, including measures of height and weight, blood pressure, and basic heart function (Phase 1) - Blood and urine samples (Phase 1) - Heart and lung function tests (Phase 1) - Assessment of general personality traits and possible history of depression (Phase 1) - Dietary assessment through a food frequency questionnaire (Phase 1) - Cognitive tests of attention, memory, and concentration (Phases 1 and 2) - Frailty-related tests (e.g., hand grip strength, walking speed, bone strength) (Phases 1 and 2) - Eye examination to test for evidence of disease or macular degeneration (Phases 1 and 2) - Kidney and thyroid ultrasound (Phases 1, 2, and 3)
The primary objective of this study is to assess the safety and effectiveness of stenting in the treatment of obstructive carotid artery disease. Secondary objectives are the assessment and standardization of optimal operator techniques and successful deployment and retrieval of the AngioGuard XP Distal Protection Device. This is a single center, prospective, open-label feasibility study. The study population will consist of patients with atherosclerotic obstructive or post-endarterectomy restenotic lesions in native carotid arteries. The intention is to include patients with both types of lesions.
The PATCAR study has been designed to test the hypothesis that the strategy of pre-hospital use of a "clot busting" (thrombolytic) drug followed with emergent heart catheterization including stenting of the problematic coronary artery, will result in a lower mortality and reduced repeat heart attack rates. Early identifying and treating heart attacks patients prior to the arriving at the hospital, in those patients who qualify for the "clot busting" drugs will lower the size of the heart attack damage. This smaller heart attack will lead to fewer problems with less repeat heart attacks and death in the future.
The study is designed to see if stress echocardiography can be used as a screening exam in peri-, or post-menopausal women with a risk of developing of coronary artery disease and experiencing future cardiac events.