Active clinical trials for "Cardiomyopathies"

The purpose of this study is to determine if an 8hr infusion of nesiritide in the emergency department in the Acutely decompensated heart failure patients will decrease 30 day recidivism.

The study is testing the hypothesis, that the application of low dose erythropoetin beta (35 I.E./kg BW/week) for 6 months following successful coronary revascularization by PCI improves left ventricular remodeling as assessed by cardiac MRI.

Bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMC) transplantation is a promising therapy for treating ischemic disease, however the effect in non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy is unknown.This study describes a technique of BMMC transplantation utilizing mini-thoracotomy and results up to one year after the procedure.

The study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of intravenous infusion of carperitide using pressure measurements inside the heart and great vessels and measuring carperitide concentration in the blood.

Patients hospitalized for treatment of decompensated heart failure (CHF) are at risk for prolonged length of stay (LOS) and frequent readmissions. Renal dysfunction and diuretic resistance contribute to this risk, particularly if renal dysfunction worsens during CHF treatment. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a hormone of myocardial cell origin with well-defined physiological effects which include arterial and venous vasodilation, suppression of adverse neurohumoral systems and favorable effects on renal hemodynamics and sodium excretion. Recombinant human BNP (Natrecor) is approved by the FDA for treatment of decompensated CHF as it has been demonstrated to lower filling pressures and improve symptoms. While clinical trials and the FDA support the use of BNP as adjuvant therapy in decompensated CHF, the extent of its efficacy in improving non-hemodynamic CHF parameters has not been fully defined. The objective of this clinical practice protocol is to determine whether use of BNP in addition to standard therapy, will preserve renal function and facilitate diuresis in patients with CHF and mild-moderate renal impairment (creatinine clearance > 20 but < 60 ml/min) as compared to standard therapy alone. Patients admitted to the Mayo Heart Failure Service who meet entrance criteria will be randomized to standard clinical practice with or without a 48 hour infusion of BNP. The primary endpoints will be indices of renal function and diuretic response at 1, 2 and 3 days and at discharge. Secondary endpoints will be neurohumoral function, LOS and 30-day readmission rate.

This is a phase 1, single-blind trial to evaluate using autologous bone marrow mononuclear stem cells in ischemic cardiomyopathy patients. The patients must have a Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) of less than or equal to 45%. Once the patient meets all inclusion criteria, and no exclusion criteria are found, the subject is consented for the study, and extensive baseline testing is performed at St Luke's Hospital in Houston. Once all baseline testing criteria is met, the patient has their own bone marrow harvested and later that day the subject is taken to a cardiac catheterization lab where left ventricular electromechanical mapping using NOGA software (NOGA mapping) is performed and the processed stem cells are injected under electromechanical guidance into the affected areas of the left ventricle. The patient is usually discharged home the next day and returns for follow up visits at weeks 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, months 6 and 12 and for phone call follow-up at months 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Patients undergo extensive testing at most of these follow-up visits, including repeat cardiac catheterization with NOGA mapping at month 6 after stem cell injection.

The aim of this study is to determine if therapy with the aldosterone antagonist, Eplerenone, is associated with improved remodeling of the left ventricle in patients with cardiomyopathy. We will determine if any benefit to cardiac remodeling is associated with improved clinical outcomes, including improved exercise capacity and reduced incidence of major adverse cardiac events such as death, hospitalization for heart-failure, serious heart rhythm disturbances and transplantation. The null hypothesis is that therapy with Eplerenone over 12 months is associated with an improvement in cardiopulmonary exercise capacity and furthermore that treatment is associated with improved clinical outcomes. In order to test this hypothesis we will study stable patients on optimal drug therapy with documented cardiomyopathy using a trial design where therapy will be randomized, double-blinded and placebo-controlled. This will reduce the likelihood of any 'researcher bias'. Patients will be recruited from the Heart-failure Service at the Royal Brompton Hospital.

A heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) causes abnormal thickening of the heart muscle, which obstructs the flow of blood out of the heart. The thickened muscle and the obstruction of blood flow are believed to cause chest discomfort, breathlessness, fainting, and a sensation of heart pounding. Treatment options for children with HCM include medicine, heart operation, and cardiac transplantation. However, there is no evidence that medicine prevents further thickening of heart muscle; operations carry the risk of death; and donor hearts are not always available. Several studies have shown that pacemaker treatment reduces the obstruction and improves heart complaints in patients with HCM. This study investigates further the efficacy of pacemaker treatment in children. Patients will have exercise tests after treatment with beta blocker and verapamil and will be eligible for the study if heart complaints or reduced exercise performance continue. A pacemaker that treats slow heart rhythms will be inserted. The patient will be sedated and local anesthesia will be administered to numb the area. The procedure takes about an hour. The study will last two years. Patients will be placed on one of two pacemaker programs for the first year and another the second year. At 3- and 6-month follow-up visits, a pacemaker check and echocardiogram will be performed. After 1 year, patients will be admitted to NIH for 2 to 3 days for exercise tests, echocardiogram, and cardiac catheterization. Also, the pacemaker will be changed to the second program. At 15- and 18-month follow-up visits, a pacemaker check and echocardiogram will be performed. After 2 years, patients will again be admitted for 2 to 3 days for exercise tests, echocardiogram, and cardiac catheterization. A pregnancy test will be given to females of child-bearing age before each cardiac catheterization and electrophysiology study. At the end of the study, the pacemaker will be set to the program that worked better. Risks of pacemaker insertion include lung collapse, infection, blood vessel damage, bleeding, heart attack, and death. Risks of cardiac catheterization include infection, bleeding, blood clots, abnormal heart rhythms, perforation of the heart, need for surgery, and death. However, the safety record for both these procedures at NIH has been excellent. The radiation exposure exceeds the NIH radiation guidelines for children, but this exposure in adults has not been associated with any definite adverse effects.

To determine if the chronic administration of enalapril, an inhibitor of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), reduces progression of cardiac dysfunction in pediatric oncology patients who have received anthracyclines, and who are not currently on digoxin, diuretics, or vasodilators for heart failure.

To study the outcome of the cardiac function, and clinical status of the patiants with cardiomyopathy who are admitted in the I.C.U.