Active clinical trials for "Aortic Valve Stenosis"

Background - Aortic valve stenosis (AS) is the most common heart valve disease among adults in the Western world with a prevalence of 3 % in people older than 75 years of age. AS usually deteriorates over time leading to heart failure, with high mortality if aortic valve replacement (AVR) is not performed. Thus optimal timing of AVR is crucial, but can be challenging. Increasing life expectancy in our society will augment the therapeutic and socio economic impact of AS disease on our health care system. Therefore, new techniques for monitoring asymptomatic AS patients are needed. A potential approach is monitoring of LV myocardial efficiency (mechanical work/oxygen consumption). These measures have been suggested to be involved in the progression of non-valvular heart failure and closely related to prognosis, but never applied in a larger population of patients with AS. At present there are no recognized pharmacological treatments of AS. It is known that beta-blocker treatment in non-valvular systolic heart failure reduce heart rate, improves LV myocardial efficiency and reduces mortality. However, in patients with AS, the effects of beta-blockers are unknown. Hypotheses - Treatment with the beta-blocker metoprolol succinate in patients with asymptomatic moderate to severe AS has beneficial effects on LV myocardial oxidative metabolism, myocardial efficiency and contractile function. Objectives - To investigate if beta-blocker treatment in patients with moderate to severe, asymptomatic AS has beneficial effects on LV myocardial efficiency, contractile function and physical performance. Design - A randomized double blind placebo controlled intervention trial. 40 patients with asymptomatic AS will be randomized to either per oral metoprolol succinate (N = 20) or placebo (N= 20) for 22 weeks. Primary objective - Changes in myocardial efficiency Secondary objectives - Myocardial oxygen consumption, Myocardial perfusion at rest, LV myocardial function, LVmass, Aortic valve area and transaortic valve velocities, 6 minute walking distance, N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide, Quality of life (estimated by Minnesota living with heart failure questionnaire), LV wall stress Methods - Patients will undergo echocardiography (resting and exercise), [11C]acetate PET and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and performance of the HLT System in patients with severe aortic stenosis who present at High Risk for aortic valve replacement surgery.

Ambulation following surgery has been found to be beneficial for patients; however, nurses and doctors struggle with getting post-operative, hospitalized patients to walk on their own. One promising strategy to address this might be an ambulation orderly, an employee whose single responsibility is to assure that patients walk 3-4 times per day. However, the effect of the ambulation orderly on post-operative physical activity has not yet been described. It is important to quantify what the ambulation orderly does in order to assess if this is an effective method for helping patients walk. As a result, the investigators will perform a pilot randomized controlled trial to test the effects of an ambulation orderly in patients hospitalized with recent cardiac surgery. Half of the patients will be assigned to walk with the ambulation orderly 3-4 times/day and the control group will be given standard nursing encouragement and assistance and encouragement to walk. The investigators will evaluate the average total daily step counts (over the hospital course, usually 4-7 days) and the change in walking distance between a baseline and a final 6 minute walk test. The investigators will also evaluate exercise physiologic parameters (heart rate, oxygen saturation) during ambulation, patient functional independence, and patient satisfaction.

Aortic stenosis is a condition whereby one of the heart valves (aortic valve) becomes narrowed, due to calcium deposition, over time. This can lead to chest pain, heart failure and sudden death. It is the commonest valve disease requiring surgery in the developed world and as the population becomes increasingly older, it is predicted that the prevalence of aortic stenosis will double in the next 20 years. Currently the only treatment is replacement of the aortic valve. Whilst this is excellent treatment, not everyone is suitable for it. The primary objective of our study is to determine whether 2 drugs used in the treatment of osteoporosis (a condition of bone thinning) can halt/retard the progression of aortic stenosis. This is on the basis that studies have suggested that altered regulation of calcium metabolism may be an important mechanism perpetuating the disease. Both drugs work by reducing calcium release into the bloodstream from bones and therefore calcification of the aortic valve. 150 patients will therefore be randomly allocated to either of the trial drugs which are denosumab,the bisphosphonate (alendronic acid), or a placebo. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanning is a technique where biochemically active molecules are injected and are taken up at sites of ongoing calcification activity where they emit radiation and can be detected by the PET scanner. We have previously shown that this technique can demonstrate areas of newly developing calcification on an aortic valve. We therefore propose that patients receiving bisphosphonates or denosumab will have reduced evidence of active calcification and slower progression of their disease at two years as assessed by Echocardiography (ultrasound) and a change in their calcium score (quantity of calcium on the aortic valve measured using Computed Tomography [CT] ). The data from this study will then be used to design a larger trial.

A randomized controlled multicenter study comparing the acute hemodynamic performance of the Edwards Sapien XT and the Medtronic CoreValve transcatheter heart valves in high risk patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis.

The purpose of this study is to determine the incidence of major vascular events (ischemic or haemorrhagics) at the third month after initiation of the antithrombotic treatment (oral anticoagulation or dual antiplatelet therapy) in both arms followed TAVI.

The Valvuloplasty Scoring Balloon First-in-Man study is a prospective, single arm, two phase, observational registry to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the Valvuloplasty Scoring Balloon Catheter for the treatment of critical aortic valve stenosis.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an established treatment option for patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis and at increased risk for surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Many novel devices are currently being developed and established transcatheter heart valves undergo design reiterations to address limitations and reduce complication rates associated with the device and implantation procedure. However, device comparisons by use of randomized trials are scarce in particular for newer generation transcatheter valves. The aim of this study is to assess non-inferiority of the self-expandable Symetis ACURATE neo/TF in comparison to the balloon-expandable Edwards SAPIEN 3 transcatheter aortic valve bioprosthesis with regard to early safety and clinical efficacy at 30 days.

The study objective is to evaluate safety and efficacy of the Medtronic TAVR (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement) 2.0 system in patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who are considered at high through extreme risk for surgical aortic valve replacement

The purpose of the study is to demonstrate the long term safety and effectiveness of the Carpentier-Edwards PERIMOUNT Magna Ease Valves in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement with or without concomitant procedures requiring cardiopulmonary bypass.