Active clinical trials for "Coronary Disease"

Background: Myocardial fibrosis is a major component in cardiac remodeling in patients with myocardial infarction or hibernation. However, the association of cardiac fibrosis and coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients without infarction or hibernation is still unclear. In the present study, we analyzed the relationship between serum concentrations of procollagen propeptides and severity of CAD in such patients. Patients and methods: Forty-six patients (32 men and 14 woman; mean age 64 years) with chest pain and normal left ventricular contractility were enrolled into this study. Myocardial infarction was excluded by history and electrocardiograms. All patients received stress thallium-201 single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and analysis of the serum levels of the aminoterminal propeptide of type I and III procollagen (PINP and PIIINP).

PROSPECT is a multi-center prospective registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) patients with single or double vessel coronary artery disease. Approximately 700 patients with ACS will be enrolled into the study at sites in the United States and European Union.

To examine the epidemiology of renal disease and its relationship to cardiovascular disease.

This study will compare the safety of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with and without the use of heart-lung bypass during surgery (on- versus off-pump surgery). CABG carries a risk of stroke and of cognition problems (problems with thought processes) that may be caused by small strokes. This study will use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine whether the newer technique of off-pump CABG carries a lower risk of stroke than on-pump CABG. The study will also evaluate the relative risk (the risk of stroke in CABG patients exposed to the following factors compared to CABG patients who are not exposed to the following factors) of other factors for stroke and cognitive problems, such as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), age, sex, pre-surgery intellectual function and performance, previous stroke, chronic kidney failure, diabetes, high blood pressure, carotid artery disease (narrowing of the neck arteries to the brain), peripheral blood vessel disease, and micro embolism (tiny blood clots that travel to the brain). Patients 18 years of age and older with chest pain or narrowing of the coronary arteries who are scheduled to undergo CABG surgery may be eligible for this study. Participants will be randomly assigned to have CABG either on-pump or off-pump. They will undergo the following tests and procedures: Tests of cognitive and neurological function before surgery and 6 months after surgery Blood tests to look for cytokines (substances that indicate inflammation) before surgery, immediately after surgery and 1 day after surgery MRI scans to detect stroke before surgery, 1 day after surgery and 1 month after surgery. MRI is a diagnostic test that uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to show structural and chemical changes in tissue. For the procedure, the patient lies on a table that slides into the scanner-a metal cylinder surrounded by a magnetic field. Earplugs are worn to muffle the loud knocking sounds that occur when the pictures are being taken. The scan, taken before surgery, will last about 20 minutes; the two after surgery take about 10 minutes to perform.

This study will measure and compare the levels of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in the blood of people with and without risk factors for atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) to see if there is a relationship between these cells and cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, high cholesterol level and high blood pressure. Healthy male volunteers between the ages of 21 and 55 years with and without heart disease risk factors may be eligible for this study. Candidates must have no evidence of coronary or peripheral vascular disease, proliferative retinopathy, or other chronic disease and no history of cancer, migraine-type headache, cluster headache, raised intraocular pressure, raised intracranial pressure, hyperthyroidism. Participants will undergo the following procedures at the NIH Clinical Center: Medical history and physical examination Blood tests to measure EPC level and various risk and growth factors Brachial reactivity study - This ultrasound study tests how well the subject's arteries widen. The subject rests on a bed for 30 minutes. An ultrasound measuring device is placed over the artery just above the elbow. The size of the artery and blood flow through it are measured before and after inflating a pressure cuff around the forearm. The pressure cuff stops the flow of blood to the arm for a few minutes. After a 15-minute rest, the drug nitroglycerin is sprayed under the subject's tongue. Before the nitroglycerin spray and 3 minutes after it, the size of the artery and blood flow through it are measured again.

To explore the immune/inflammatory processes as pathways between depression/exhaustion and coronary artery disease (CAD) progression.

To investigate the relationship between endogenous estrogen and androgen levels and risk of coronary heart disease among postmenopausal women in the Women's Health Initiative-Observational Study (WHI-OS).

To determine if the Black-white differences in the development of obesity in pubescent females were due to differences in psychosocial, socioeconomic and other environmental factors. Also, to determine whether differences in the development of obesity led to Black-white differences in other coronary heart disease risk factors, such as blood pressure and serum lipids.

To determine the incidence, secular trends, and outcomes of coronary heart disease in the population of Rochester, Minnesota.

To determine the role of apolipoprotein B and apolipoprotein A1 in the etiology of coronary artery disease.