Active clinical trials for "Atherosclerosis"

The role of methylase system and Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) in the accelerated atherosclerotic progression of diabetic patients is unclear. Authors will evaluate methylase activity and PCSK9 in carotid plaques of asymptomatic diabetic and non diabetic patients, as well as the effect of statin added to PCSK9 inhibitors (PCSK9i) therapy vs. statin alone in diabetic plaques. Plaques will be obtained from 43 type 2 diabetic and 30 non diabetic patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy. Diabetic patients will receive statin therapy (n 23) or statin plus PCSK9i (140 mg of evolocumab; n 20) or placebo (n 23) for 4 months before scheduled endarterectomy. Plaques will be analyzed for macrophages (CD68), T-cells (CD3), inflammatory cells (HLADR), methylase activity, nuclear factor (NF)-KB, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, nitrotyrosine, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and collagen content (immunohistochemistry and enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay. Authors' study hypothesis is that methylase and PCSK9 over-activity will be associated with enhanced inflammatory reaction and NF-KB expression in diabetic plaques. Secondly, the inhibition of methylase activity in atherosclerotic lesions of diabetic patients by metformin plus SLGT2i might be associated with morphological and compositional characteristics of a potential stable plaque phenotype, possibly by down regulating NF-KB-mediated inflammatory pathways.

Air pollution, microplastics and climate change pose serious public health risks. In recent years, air pollution has been associated with an increased risk of morbidity, all-cause mortality, cardio-respiratory-related mortality, and cancer. A growing body of evidence has recently confirmed a direct association between particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 2.5 mm (PM2.5), Ozone (O3) and aromatic polycyclic hydrocarbons with all-cause mortality irrespective of social context and geographic or economic disparities, suggesting a causal relationship between the two factors. The effects of air and environmental pollutants on public health have been observed also for short-term exposure to rapid increases in particulate matter. High PM 2.5 values have also been associated with a higher rate of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease expressed by high calcium score values, with the elderly, male and diabetic patients being at greater risk. To date, however, the pathophysiological basis of the relationship between air pollutants, and long-term events remains speculative, and there is no evidence that can correlate the concentration of environmental pollutants directly with anatomical-pathological and/or biomolecular alterations. In this study the investigators will assess the presence and the burden of pollutants within the carotid plaques from patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy with pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and electronic microscopy. Plaque stability will be explored trough molecular markers. Participants will be followed up for a composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, and all-cause mortality to evaluate whether the presence and the abundance of pollutants are associated with the development of the outcome through adjusted Cox regressions.

Primary objectives: To assess the effectiveness of the PRALUENT® 2 ml SYDNEY auto-injector as measured by the lipid-lowering effect of alirocumab after approx. 12 weeks treatment To assess the treatment satisfaction, as well as patient adherence and persistence after approximately 12 weeks of treatment with the PRALUENT® 2 ml SYDNEY auto-injector Secondary objective: Safety and tolerability

Instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR™) is a novel non-hyperaemic index of the functional significance of a coronary stenosis. Previous studies have shown variable levels of correlation with the established hyperaemic index FFR. In addition it has been proposed that iFR™ has superior diagnostic accuracy when compared to mean whole cardiac cycle Pd/Pa which can also be used to predict FFR. We plan to undertake a prospective clinical study in consecutive patients already undergoing FFR assessment in the cardiac catheterisation laboratory to compare the ability of iFR™ and Pd/Pa (both measured using the proprietary Volcano system) to predict FFR. We will explore the level of misclassification of flow limiting disease that results from use of iFR™ and resting Pd/Pa employed using either binary cut-off algorithms or in a hybrid decision making protocol. We plan to analyse 260 vessels over a 18 month period. Hyperaemia will be induced by intravenous adenosine (140 ug/kg/min) administered wherever possible via an antecubital vein. Intra-coronary nitrates will also be given in line with the standard care procedure for FFR measurement. Final clinical decisions following coronary physiology will be based on steady state FFR.

The investigators are studying whether an anti-inflammatory intervention improves impaired coronary endothelial function (CEF) in HIV+ people with no clinical coronary artery disease (CAD).

This study investigates the influence of an increased physical activity and sports workload in formerly nonsporting healthy individuals on current promising biomarkers of atherosclerosis research.

The incidence of stroke has increased by 100% in the last four decades in developing countries like Pakistan. Intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) is the most frequent causative subtype of ischemic stroke in the world including Pakistan. ICAD is progressive narrowing of the arteries at the base of the brain due to atherosclerosis. After a stroke from ICAD, recurrence rate is highest in any sub-type of stroke, up to 28% with limited therapeutic options. Therefore, it is imperative to delineate the determinants of asymptomatic ICAD prior to stroke. Investigators hypothesized that there is at least a 20% difference in the proportion of clinical, life-style (dietary, physical activity, obesity, smoking and stress/depression), and socio-economic predictors of asymptomatic ICAD than those with no ICAD.

This is a national, prospective, multi-center, non-randomized study to evaluate the long-term efficacy and integrity of the EPICTM Nitinol Vascular Stent System in Superficial Femoral Artery (SFA) lesions. A total of 100 patients will be included in approximately 10 sites. The study is designed to demonstrate the EPIC Nitinol Vascular Stent System is non- inferior to the published patency rates found in the literature. This non-inferiority will be established by proving that the true rate for the EPICTM Nitinol Vascular Stent System is higher than 82% minus a 10% delta.

Vascular inflammation is a key factor in both the pathogenesis and outcome of atherosclerosis.Resistin was shown to induce vascular endothelial dysfunction and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) is a promising tool for identifying and quantifying vascular inflammation within atherosclerotic plaques.Therefore, the purpose of the study is to demonstrate the correlation between circulating resistin and vascular inflammation detected by 18FDG-PET in obese persons.

Systolic Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) is a large scale randomized trial of ~ 9250 adults aged 50 years or older with high cardiovascular risk sponsored by NIH. The study is designed to recruit 45% of the study population with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). The trial will test the effects of low systolic blood pressure (SBP) goal of < 120 mm Hg versus the standard goal of < 140 mm Hg on the primary composite of cardiovascular events and death. One of the pre-specified secondary outcome is the progression of kidney disease. In this ancillary named SPRINT - Factors affecting Atherosclerosis STudy (FAST), the investigators plan to take advantage of the unique opportunities afforded by the parent study to examine issues that are of significant public health importance. This is an observational study in SPRINT participants. This study will examine mechanistically, the factors affecting the progression of atherosclerosis in CKD.