Active clinical trials for "Atherosclerosis"

The primary goal of the clinical trial is to test the effect of oral rivaroxaban plus aspirin in patients with recent stroke/ transient ischemic attack (TIA) caused by intracranial artery stenosis. Participants will be divided into 2 groups to receive either oral rivaroxaban plus aspirin or oral clopidogrel plus aspirin. The main question it aims to answer is whether the experimental group (oral rivaroxaban plus aspirin) is superior to the control group ( oral clopidogrel plus aspirin) to lower recurrent stroke/TIA or death in these patients during 1 year of follow-up.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is the most common inherited cause of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) with a prevalence of approximately one in 200 individuals, however only few of the estimated 30.000 patients with FH in Denmark has been diagnosed. FH is characterized by high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and a high risk of premature ASCVD in particular coronary artery disease. The presence of atherosclerosis measured by cardiac computed tomography (CT) is a reliable predictor of future cardiovascular events and may help guide clinicians with regard to the lifestyle modifying therapies and lipid-lowering treatment. However, the prevalence and degree of coronary atherosclerosis in Danish FH patients without symptoms of ASCVD is unknown. Therefore, the invetigators aimed to: Screen FH patients in a Danish setting for subclinical coronary atherosclerosis to improve lipid-lowering treatment and, Test if coronary CT screening can help to reach LDL-C therapy goals and reduce smoking. This study will consist of a local cross sectional pilotstudy including 100 asymptomatic FH patients recruited from the lipid clinic at Odense University Hospital and hereafter a regional cross-sectional on approximately 600 asymptomatic FH patients in the Region of Southern Denmark recruited from the lipid clinics trough the national patient registry. In the pilot study, patients will undergo lipid analysis and non-contrast / contrast CT for description of coronary arterial calcium, and plaque morphology in this patient group. This will provide knowledge for planning the regional cross sectional study describing subclinical atherosclerosis in this population. Patients will furthermore be randomized to see their coronary CT scan or not. Mean LDL-C change and smoking status will be evaluated one year after. The benefit of finding subclinical atherosclerotic disease with the possibility to improve lipid-lowering treatment for prevention of future premature ischemic heart disease is considered to outweigh the minor radiation exposure in this trial. If LDL-C is reduced significantly and smoking reduction is significant trough a simple intervention as showing the CT scan to the patient, this study can provide knowledge whether CT screening of this patient group should be considered in Denmark.

This is an intersectional and interdisciplinary screening program in Viborg Municipality, including 67 years old citizens. This observational study will estimate the cost-effectiveness of a combined screening program for the following conditions: Abdominal aortic aneurysm, peripheral arterial disease, carotid plaque, hypertension, arrhythmia, and type-2-diabetes. Furthermore, the incidence of the outlined conditions will be described and so will the result of the intervention initiated (secondary medical prophylaxis, smoking cessation, introduction to nutritionally deficient diet etc.)

Guideline recommended evidence-based clinical care correlates with improved patient outcomes. In real life care, however, adherence to guideline recommendations remains suboptimal. In real life, patients may receive suboptimal treatment and as a result treatment targets are not always met. To support and improve secondary prevention for cardiovascular disease, PENELOPE and PENELOPE-CTRL are designed to support guideline implementation on lipid management and provide valuable feedback to care-givers on real world data.

It is well known that the Type 2 diabetes and vascular disease are preceded by over ten years by metabolic dysfunction and anatomic changes that can be quantified. In order to develop effective preventive strategies and reduce the cost burden to the health care system, recognition of the earliest pathophysiology of Type 2 diabetes and vascular disease is clinically relevant. The interval retrospective evaluation of data from patient records, reflect the effectiveness of the various treatments implemented in clinical practice. Prevalence of "prediabetes" among American adults is estimated to be ~84 million, or one out of three Americans. Over a 5-7 year period approximately one third of these prediabetic individuals will progress to type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes is a heterogenous group comprised of individuals with impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and increased A1c (5.7-6.4%). Although different pathophysiologies are present in individuals with IFG and IGT, their conversion rate to overt type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is similar. Insulin resistance is a common causal feature of many of the pathophysiologic mechanisms linking macrovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Because hyperglycemia is the major factor responsible for the development of microvascular complications, it logically follows that prevention of progression of prediabetes to overt diabetes should retard/prevent the development of the microvascular complications. From the measurement of plasma glucose, insulin, and c-peptide levels during the oral glucose tolerance test, one can derive measures of the two core defects responsible for the development of T2DM, i.e. insulin resistance and beta cell dysfunction as well as the degree of dysglycemia. By combining a standard medical evaluation with the evaluation of cardiovascular biomarkers, patients at intermediate risk of vascular disease can be identified. In these patients, carotid intima media thickness (IMT) and carotid plaque evaluation is offered to attempt to clarify risk. The hypothesis of this observational study is that the characterization of the physiology and anatomy of patients at risk of developing type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease can stratify risk of developing disease and direct treatment strategies tailored to the identified physiologic defect, leading to improvements in the delay or prevention of disease.

Cardiovascular events are the leading cause of death in developed countries worldwide, including Taiwan. The disruption of atherosclerotic plaques and the subsequent formation of thrombi are currently recognized as the major cause of morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, early detection of vulnerable plaques is clinically important for risk stratification and also to provide early treatment. Several imaging approaches have been adapted to detect vulnerable plaques, however, most of them are based on morphologic characteristics of atheroma. We hypothesize that PPARγ-induced plaque regression could be monitored clinically by use of 18FDG PET/CT approach, which could assess the inflammatory activity, and can be detected noninvasively earlier than previously reported.

Intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) is the most common cause of stroke worldwide. It carries a worse prognosis than other stroke etiologies, with an annual rate of recurrent stroke and death of 15% despite intensive medical management, and as high as 35% in certain populations. Overall, treatment and prevention of stroke due to ICAS has been unsuccessful. While two recent clinical trials have shown modest improvement in the efficacy of intensive medical treatment, these trials were terminated early given the elevated rate of complications, stroke, and death in the interventional arms. In fact, intensive medical management appears to reduce the risk of embolism; however, medical management alone does not address the progression of intracranial arterial stenosis or the pathophysiologic components of hypoperfusion and poor collateral circulation. Levels and types of various angiogenic factors in the blood and tissues have been proposed to be predictive of patient outcome after ischemic stroke and treatment for stroke. This study therefore pursues a new paradigm to investigate responses to ICAS treatment from the perspective of cerebral collateral vessel generation and the role of angiogenic factors. Specifically, pro- and anti-angiogenic factors in patients with ICAS are evaluated at baseline and longitudinally in response to both medical and surgical treatment. For this we have developed methodologies for the isolation and measurement of these growth factors in plasma of patients with ICAS. These methodologies will enable us to obtain a detailed understanding of the variation and dynamic properties of local and circulating angiogenic factors over time in response to medical and surgical treatment, and their association to outcome phenotypes. This analysis is complemented by studies of angiographic development of neovascularization. If successful, this study will help to better understand the role of angiogenesis in ICAS and create a foundation from which to explore therapeutic treatments for ICAS which harness the natural processes of angiogenesis.

Background: Longterm exposure to air pollution has been associated with cardiovascular events and mortality on top of traditional risk factors. Pulmonary inflammation and oxidative stress have been implicated. Brachial (arm) vascular reactivity (flow-mediated dilation FMD) and carotid (neck) artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) are highly reproducible atherosclerosis surrogates, predictive of cardiovascular and stroke outcome. Montelukast is proven safe and effective in alleviating pulmonary inflammation and oxidative stress when used in prevention of asthma episode. Study objectives: To test the hypothesis of pulmonary inflammation and oxidative stress-related vascular dysfunction in PM air pollution. To evaluate the impact of Montelukast treatment as compared with placebo on predictive atherosclerosis surrogates (FMD and IMT). Design: Parallel placebo control, randomized comparative study. Subjects will be randomized to take Montelukast (10mg/daily) or image-matched placebo for 26 weeks. Measures will include PM2.5/PM10, indices of subclinical atherosclerosis (brachial FMD and CIMT), blood inflammatory biomarkers (platelet counts, hsCRP and fibrinogen) and potential confounders (lipids and glucose). Setting: 120 working adults aged 30-60 years in Hong Kong and 80 working adults in Chongqing (CREC Ref No: 2018.157, 2020.398) Main outcome measures: Subclinical atherosclerosis: (a) Endothelial function (brachial FMD) and (b) carotid intima media thickness (CIMT). PM2.5 & PM10 concentrations: real-time measurement by portable devices twice at home and work sites. Blood inflammatory markers-platelet count, hsCRP and Fibrinogen Potential confounders: we shall collect informations on a range of potential confounders, including other air pollutants and traditional risk factors of atherosclerosis, entrusted to be controlled (stable). Expected results: Adults after Montelukast treatment and exposed to high levels of PM2.5 or PM10 would have improved (increased) brachial FMD, and reduction of CIMT as compared with placebo. These will have great implication for comparative vascular epidemiology and development of preventive strategies.

In a prospective multi-center observational study, 200 HIV-infected patients treated with antiretroviral treatment (ART) and who suffered from coronary artery disease (CAD) will be enrolled. Blood samples for biological parameters will be collected with all participants: lipid profile and markers of systemic inflammation specific for HIV-infection (lipopolysaccharide-binding protein; cytokines: IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF -α, INF-γ, INF-α; procalcitonin; inflammatory hsCRP). All of them will undergo functional testing (Echo, CMR both at rest and stress if necessary) and invasive imaging with QCA, FFR, QFR, OCT, IVUS, VH-IVUS, NIRS. Patients will be treated according to the current and previous recommendations. Both medical treatment and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) with or without stenting will be done. Collected data will be analyzed: correlation between ART, blood test results, coronary angiography results, including performed PTCA, history of myocardial infarctions, and other cardiovascular events. The follow-up period will achieve 12 months prospectively with collected clinical events and imaging outcomes which will be determined at the baseline and 12-month follow-up. The independent ethics expertise will be provided by the Central Clinical Hospital of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia). The monitoring of the clinical data with imaging will be provided by The Ethics Board of Central Clinical Hospital of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The "DATASET-PRECISE", a 3-arm parallel randomized study, aims to provide new insights in risk stratification of patients with suspected CAD in the Greek population. The convergence of information derived from exercise ECG stress test, CACS, CCTA and metabolomic profiling in artificial intelligence algorithms describes in brief the main objective of this protocol. The design of the present proposal is based on current state-of-the-art literature, incorporating, however, additional innovative elements. It is about the first randomized study to be conducted in Greece, investigating the role of CCTA and CACS in CAD diagnosis and risk assessment. Moreover, the present protocol aims to integrate information on patients' metabolomic profiling. The process of the whole information by using artificial intelligence technology will lead to the development of new risk stratification algorithms, promoting further personalized diagnostic and therapeutic approach. Regarding Greece, this is the first prospectively enrolling medical database of this scale.