Active clinical trials for "Carotid Artery Diseases"

A prospective comparative randomized single-centre non-inferiority trial. The purpose of this study is to compares of modified method of eversion carotid endarterectomy with standard eversion carotid endarterectomy for 3,6 and 12 months days after operation in patients with extensive atherosclerotic disease of carotid bifurcation

This study is being done to determine if the acute administration of the drug Simvastatin reduces plaque tissue inflammation and plaque instability in patients undergoing carotid endarectomy

The primary objective of this study is to assess the outcomes of stenting with distal protection in the treatment of obstructive carotid artery disease during peri-approval/initial commercialization in relation to the outcomes of the Sapphire Clinical Trial. The devices to be utilized are the Cordis PRECISE Nitinol Stent Systems and the Cordis ANGIOGUARD™ XP Emboli Capture Guidewire (ECGW).

Lay abstract: Study Purpose With contemporary combined modality therapy the expected longterm survival of children and adolescents with Hodgkin's disease (HD) is exceedingly high. Thus, the emphasis for future therapeutic interventions must include attention to the late effects of therapy. The development of cardiovascular disease as a late effect of radiation therapy has been well described and documented. Our recent pilot study of child and young adult HD survivors revealed significant subclinical atherosclerosis as evidenced by increased Carotid Artery Intima Media Thickness (CIMT) compared to controls. The higher CIMT values were positively associated with increasing age, total cholesterol, LDLcholesterol and diastolic BP. This finding was present in children and young adults who had received no or low dose radiation suggesting that chemotherapy or the disease process itself contributes to the development of atherosclerosis and risk for cardiovascular disease. Numerous studies have shown HMG CoA reductase inhibitors ("statins") to be effective in reducing the progression of atherosclerosis in adults. These agents have been studied in children and young adults for over a decade. The primary aim of this study is: To obtain pilot safety data on the use of simvastatin in young adults treated for HD. The secondary aims of this study are: To obtain pilot data on the effect of simvastatin on subclinical carotid artery atherosclerosis as measured by Carotid Artery IMT in young adults treated for HD. To obtain pilot data on the effect of simvastatin on markers of inflammation measured in the serum of young adults treated for HD. To obtain pilot data to serve as the basis for the development of a multicenter randomized study for the use of simvastatin in survivors of HD.

The 'Long-term Follow-up Near-infrared Spectroscopy and Intravascular Ultrasound Imaging of Internal Carotid Artery Stenosis Treated With Stenting' trial is an academic research project. It follows already published results of a research on carotid plaque composition in patients undergoing carotid stenting. Patients who were treated with carotid stenting will be invited to participate on the trial. The written informed consent will be needed. The participants will undergo carotid angiography, intravascular near-infrared spectroscopy and intravascular ultrasound of the extracranial portion of the internal and common carotid artery with implanted stent. The aim of the trial is to describe long-term change of the luminal and stent dimensions, vessel wall remodeling and plaque composition after carotid stenting. The findings will help to understand the long-term effect of carotid stenting on the carotid stenosis and mechanisms of plaque stabilization - sealing with stent.

The purpose of this study is to compare the safety and performance of WIRION™ EPD in patients undergoing carotid artery stenting to a performance goal based on an analysis of the results of previous US IDE carotid stenting with embolic protection studies

Atherosclerosis may initiate early in life and takes years to progress. This contrasts to the abrupt coronary or cerebrovascular events occurring following the transition from a stable to an unstable atherosclerotic plaque. The causes of this discontinuity of the disease are complex and probably multiple. There is increasing evidence that, besides inflammation, neovascularisation of atherosclerotic plaques and intra-plaque hemorrhages play an important role in plaque instability ending-up frequently in acute thrombotic occlusion or distal embolisation of athero-thrombotic material associated with heart attack or stroke. Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound, is a bed-side non-invasive technique, which allows to enhance microvascular structures and to visualize the adventitia and intraplaque vascularization. Dynamic contrast-enhanced plaque MRI (DCE-MRI) which has also been evaluated for in vivo detection and quantification of plaque neovascularity. Together with the presence of a large lipid-rich core, thin fibrous cap, positive remodeling and active inflammatory infiltrate, plaque neovascularisation is considered a valid marker of high-risk (or vulnerable) plaque as demonstrated in histopathological studies using microvessel density. Aim of the study is to assess and validate the value of contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), a bed-side technique, in detecting plaque neovascularisation and compare it with the quantitative assessment by DCE-MRI in carotis atherosclerosis. A group of 30 patients with asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis (> 50% stenosis on Doppler ultrasound) will undergo Carotid Duplex ultrasounds and CEUS. High-resolution plaque MRI and DCE-MRI will be performed in the same patients and will be analyzed by two separate operators blinded to the results of the CEUS in order to detect the efficacy of CEUS when compared with in vivo DCE-MRI, as the standard of reference.

Major vascular surgery involves operations to repair swollen blood vessels, clear debris from blocked arteries or bypass blocked blood vessels. Patients with these problems are a high-risk surgical group as they have generalized blood vessel disease. These puts them at risk of major complications around the time of surgery such as heart attacks , strokes and death. The mortality following repair of a swollen main artery in the abdomen is about 1 in 20. This contrasts poorly with the 1 per 100 risk of death following a heart bypass. Simple and cost-effective methods are needed to reduce the risks of major vascular surgery. Remote ischaemic preconditioning (RIPC) may be such a technique. To induce RIPC, the blood supply to muscle in the patient's arm is interrupted for about 5 minutes. It is then restored for a further five minutes. This cycle is repeated three more times. The blood supply is interrupted simply by inflating a blood pressure cuff to maximum pressure. This repeated brief interruption of the muscular blood supply sends signals to critical organs such as the brain and heart, which are rendered temporarily resistant to damage from reduced blood supply. Several small randomized clinical trials in patients undergoing different types of major vascular surgery have demonstrated a potential benefit. This large, multi-centre trial aims to determine whether RIPC can reduce complications in routine practice.

The objective of the ARMOUR study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Mo.Ma proximal flow blockage cerebral protection device for patients at high surgical risk for carotid endarterectomy who undergo carotid artery stenting

Compared to standard treatment goals achieving lower targets for LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and blood pressure in people with diabetes will slow the progression of atherosclerosis as measured by carotid artery thickness, and reduce clinical cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes. This study is a randomized 3-year trial. The primary endpoint will be a combination of various measures of the carotid artery, (which is an easy, non-invasive way to detect cardiovascular disease) and events such as heart attacks and strokes. The study will also look at secondary endpoints such as how well the heart pumps, fat,protein and inflammatory markers in the blood,and kidney function. The study enrolled 549 American Indian men and women with diabetes, > 40 years of age and is being conducted in four field centers involving Indian Health Service/Tribal primary care facilities in Phoenix/Sacaton, Arizona; Chinle, Arizona; Rapid City/Pine Ridge, South Dakota; and Lawton, Oklahoma, with input from American Indian physicians and community members.