Active clinical trials for "Atherosclerosis"

In Asia, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome have been dramatically increased. Therefore, the investigators intend to the collect the blood sample, laboratory, anthropometric, and body composition parameters prospectively to examine the risk factors of metabolic syndrome. Furthermore, the investigators will collect the data of carotid IMT and branchial ankle pulse wave velocity to clarify the metabolic risk factors of atherosclerosis.

The investigators will study Radial artery injury and endothelial function following trans-radial cardiac catheterisation. Radial artery injury will be quantified pre- and post- angiography using Optical Coherence Tomography. The participants will also have radial endothelial function assessed using flow-mediated dilatation at baseline, 24 hours, one week, one month and three months post- angiography. Blood will be taken pre and 24 hours post angiography for characterisation of endothelial progenitor cell numbers and function. The hypothesis is that trans-radial catheterisation will cause a reduction in flow-mediated dilatation which peaks at 24 hours and recovers at three months. The investigators hope to correlate the rate of this recovery with peri-procedural progenitor cell numbers.

The aim of the study is to assess presence of myocardial ischemia by contrast stress echocardiography in patients with symptomatic non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) by CT-coronary angiography, and the clinical, vascular, biochemical and genetic markers of myocardial ischemia in such patients.

Objective: We aimed at analyzing the relationship between periodontal disease and atherosclerosis in medical treatment and periodontal treatment under medical and dental care across borders in a local cooperation system of Japanese medical services. Materials and methods: A prospective multi-center case cohort study was conducted on 37 ambulatory medical patients (with lifestyle-related diseases under consultation in either of the medical clinics registered as collaborative investigation facilities) and 79 periodontal patients (who were seen by the dental clinics registered as collaborative investigation facilities). Medical treatment and clinical periodontal treatment were provided on the subjects under medical and dental care across borders by each internal medicine and dental clinics. Systemic examination of lifestyle-related disease and periodontal examination were performed before and after periodontal treatment, and the relationships between periodontal and atherosclerosis-related clinical markers were analyzed before and after periodontal treatment.

It has been argued that social relationships are important to health and well-being. This study will investigate links between social networks and cardiovascular disease risk factors in South Asians, the second fastest growing ethnic group in the US and one with disparate rates of coronary heart disease. Identifying and understanding the links between social networks and cardiovascular disease is key to the development and testing of family- and community-level prevention interventions for minorities.

The aim of this study is to develop non-invasive MRI, and MRS approaches that will quantify the plaque composition and lipid content of plaques and will have the potential for repeated in vivo measurements. Simultaneously this study aims to develop US plaque imaging as a screening tool to select plaque phenotypes of interest for clinical trials (a large LRNC). For plaque composition imaging by MRI the researchers aim to increase scan resolution and decrease scan time. For quantifying plaque lipid content the researchers aim to develop an MRS protocol. Subsequently, the researchers intend to study the reproducibility of plaque composition and lipid content measurements by MRI, MRS and Ultrasound in subjects that have carotid artery plaques.

The incidence of cardiovascular diseases is still high and further efforts should be done in primary prevention. The main objective is to quantify the burden of subclinical atherosclerosis using non-invasive techniques,and to study the impact of this assessment and consequent treatment in the progression of atherosclerosis and in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases.

The investigators hypothesized that circulating endothelium-derived microparticle (EMP) may be a useful surrogate marker of atherosclerosis and future episode of cerebrovascular events. Peripheral blood is drawn at the time of carotid ultrasound examination. Circulating EMPs are counted using flow-cytometry. The correlation among circulating EMP, ultrasound findings, and atherosclerotic risk factors are determined by multiple stepwise regression analysis. The prevalence of cerebrovascular events is also determined during 3-year follow-up period.

In patients with chest pain or shortness of breath who are referred for stress imaging tests (either stress echocardiography or stress nuclear testing), the investigators seek to compare impact of using cardiac CT scans of the heart arteries to the stress test that their doctors ordered.

Investigation of how the patients experience whole body MRA. After the WB-MRA the patients will fill in a questionnaire, that contains questions about the WB-MRA procedure and how the patient felt during the examination. We expect that the patients will report a high degree of satisfaction with the WB-MRA procedure, with little discomfort.