A Pilot Project Exploring the Impact of Whole Genome Sequencing in Healthcare
Healthy Adults (Full Study and Extension Phase)Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy or Dilated CardiomyopathyThe MedSeq™ Project seeks to explore the impact of incorporating information from a patient's whole genome sequence into the practice of clinical medicine. In the extension phase of MedSeq we are attempting increase our participant diversity by increasing targeted enrollment of African/African American patient participants.
Combination of Olmesartan Effect on Myocardial Viability of Patients With Dilated Cardiomyopathy...
Dilated CardiomyopathyThe study proceeds with prospective, randomized, open and controlled clinical trials. The subject of the investigator's study was the first patient diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy. Subjects who agreed to participate in the study and were determined to meet the selection / exclusion criteria were randomly assigned to each group, and the experimental group was treated with 20 mg of olmesartan and 5 mg of rosuvastatin for 6 months, and the control group is treated with 40 mg of valsartan and 5 mg of rosuvastatin.
Pathophysiology of Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Dilated CardiomyopathyThis will be a cross-sectional, observational study. Null hypothesis: There is no difference in the amount of extracellular volume (ECV or scarring) in the hearts of patients with heart failure as compared to control subjects. Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle has become too weak to work properly. It is associated with an increase in the amount of connective tissue (collagen) which replaces dead heart muscle cells (scarring). Currently a biopsy of the muscle is the only way to measure the amount of scarring. This is invasive and rarely done in children. Because of this, it is difficult to measure the amount of scarring in a particular patient or disease process, which is important for improving our understanding and treatment of the disease. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive imaging tool which is routinely used to look at areas of local scarring in heart muscle. Because the scarring is so widespread in paediatric patients, we have not been able to use this method previously. Now new imaging techniques allow us to look at widespread scarring but these have not yet been validated in children. We plan to use late gadolinium enhancement (T1 mapping) to measure the amount of scarring in patients with heart failure (we have evidence that their heart biopsies show increased amounts of scar tissue) and children having MRI scans for other reasons. We will use measures of function including echocardiography and 6 minute walk test to compare to the amount of scarring. This will help us to know whether the amount of scarring will be clinically useful. We will look at the amount of various proteins in the blood of patients and control subjects which are related to the scarring and cell death processes. We already use blood tests to monitor heart failure and these tests may help us to refine our testing and improve timing of treatment (e.g. transplantation). This study will help us to design further research in this field.
Assessment of Right Ventricular Function in Advanced Heart Failure
Dilated CardiomyopathyHeart FailureWe examined the feasibility and reliability of a combined echocardiographic and right heart catheterization (RHC) approach for right ventriculo/arterial (R-V/A) coupling assessment in HF patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (D-CMP).
Characterization of the Liver Parenchyma Using Parametric T1 and T2 Magnetic Resonance Relaxometry...
CardiomyopathyCongestive4 moreTo determine normal T1 and T2 values of the liver, and to assess the impact of age and gender To determine the relation between markers of right heart decompensation and T1/T2 values of the liver in patients with pulmonary hypertension, patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, and patients with constrictive pericarditis (or constrictive physiology) To determine inter/intra-observer reproducibility for liver T1/T2 assessment To test/develop multi-feature texture analysis for T1/T2 analysis of the liver and implement machine learning to derive indicative features (MR-derived measures only vs combined with other clinical readouts)
Evaluation of Patients With Known or Suspected Heart Disease
Peripheral Artery DiseaseCoronary Disease5 moreIn this study researchers will admit and evaluate patients with known or suspected heart disease referred to the Cardiology Branch of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Patients participating in this study will undergo a general medical evaluation, including blood tests, urine, examination, chest x-ray and electrocardiogram (EKG). In addition, patients may be asked to have an echocardiogram (ultrasound scan of the heart) and to perform an exercise stress test. These tests are designed to assess the types and causes of patient's heart diseases and to determine if they can participate in other, specific research studies.
Vitamin D Supplementation Can Improve Heart Function in Idiopathic Cardiomyopathy
CardiomyopathyDilatedVitamin D deficiency could be a high risk for cardiovascular diseases. It has been recently reported that vitamin D deficiency is another cause of heart failure and cardiomyopathies. It was found that vitamin D supplementation improved the heart function. The purpose of this study is to evaluate patients with idiopathic cardiomyopathies and determine whether vitamin D supplementation in cases where there is a deficiency, improves heart functioning.
Regulation of Immunological Cytokines by Qiliqiangxin Capsule in Dilated Cardiomyopathy Patients...
Congestive Heart FailurePurpose :Research into the impact of Qiliqiangxin capsule on IFN-γ,IL-4,NT-proBNP in dilated cardiomyopathy patients with heart failure. Methods :Data were collected from the patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy ( cardiac function NYHA Ⅱ-Ⅳ) in the first affiliated hospital of Harbin Medical University from May 2012 to April 2014. These 30 cases were treated under the recommendations of normal diagnosis and treatment in cardiomyopathy. This experiment was randomized double-blinded,the experimental interferences were avoided and patients were divided into the experimental group and the placebo group. The patients in experimental group received the relevant tests and inspections before the beginning of experiment,signed the informed consent. Then the investigators get the venous blood centrifugalization and cryopreservation. The patients take the medicine qiliqiangxin three times per day,four tablets at a time. Afrer a month,the investigators evaluated the symptoms,the function of heart,blood pressure,heart rate and keep blood specimens. Three and six month later,electrocardiogram and echocardiography were taken and the determination of the NT - proBNP was done. The placebo group was followed up in the same way.
Inflammatory/Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy: Is There a Link to Autoimmune Diseases? TP9a
Non Ischemic CardiomyopathyIn a hitherto ill-defined proportion of patients with inflammatory/familial cardiomyopathy, the phenotype dilative cardiomyopathy (DCM) is assumed to be the endstage of a multifactorial etiopathogenetic pathophysiology. Precipitating factors include enhanced autoimmunity, predisposition for viral infections, environmental factors in addition to a specific 'genetic background' of the individual patient. It is unresolved, whether the susceptibility to immunologically mediated myocardial damage reflects the presence of genetic risk factors shared by other autoimmune diseases, or is cardio-specific with individual predisposing factors. Aims of the project are the search for a genetic link or oredisposition to autoimmune diseases in patients with familial / inflammatory DCM.
Pregnancy and Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Dilated CardiomyopathyIncreasing cases of women with dilated cardiomyopathy with a project of pregnancy are observed. However there is few knowledge and publications about cardiac diseases in pregnant women. Moreover the majority of medical articles deal with women with congenital heart diseases, valvular pathologies or peripartum cardiomyopathies, and few data are available in literature about women with dilated cardiomyopathy diagnosed before or during the first months of the pregnancy. Cardiologist and obstetrician advices are considerably limited when patients with dilated cardiomyopathy have a pregnancy project. Knowledges and know-how are currently based on limited personal experiment or on few clinical cases descriptions. Pregnancy represents a high-risk situation for patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. Creation of a cohort of pregnant women with dilated cardiomyopathy collecting specific data will allow to have a better overview and to appreciate possibilities of a pregnancy project, evolution risks and modalities for medical attention and to improve follow-up and advices delivered to these patients.