Active clinical trials for "Heart Diseases"

The examination of the percentage of peripheral T cells carrying VLA-1 in ischemic heart disease patients. The hypothesis is that the percentage levels of cells carrying this integrin rise according to the severity of the ischemic heart disease.

This study will be co-ordinated by Dr Hector Chinoy, Dr Robert G Cooper (Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust / The University of Manchester) and Dr Ian N Bruce (Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust/ The University of Manchester). An initial pilot study will be completed, to establish proof of concept of the study and to examine whether trends may observed of differences between cases and controls. Twenty five prevalent UK Caucasian adult IIM cases, confirmed by internationally accepted criteria, will be recruited via the Adult Onset Myositis clinic, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust. Age, gender and race-matched controls will be recruited on a 'best friend' system. At the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility (WTCRF), The University of Manchester, facilities are already available for B-mode ultrasound CIMT measurement, Endo-PAT, lean body mass measurement and contrast echocardiography. Cases and controls will have their cardiovascular risk factors assessed using a standardised questionnaire and blood tests. Further tests performed will include blood pressure, electrocardiogram, lean body mass, B-mode ultrasound CIMT measurement and Endo-PAT. IIM cases will have additional blood tests and a clinical assessment to assess their disease status, and contrast echocardiography. As part of a linked study, subjects (but not controls) will also have Gd-DTPA-MRI of the heart performed.

The apelin-APJ system is a relatively new discovery. It has generated interest in part due to it's apparent ability to counteract the renin-angiotensin system, which is frequently overactive in many cardiovascular disease. Angiotensin has a powerful ability to cause blood vessels constrict and reduces their diameter. One of the actions of apelin is to cause blood vessels to relax and the investigators specifically wish test the hypothesis that apelin will cause blood vessels constricted by angiotensin II to relax.

This study is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a peripheral blood mononuclear cell gene expression profiling method (AlloMap) in monitoring asymptomatic heart transplant patients for acute rejection beginning 2-6 months(≥ 55-185 days) after transplantation.

Infants with congenital heart disease have more frequent infections and exposures to antibiotics than healthy infants. It is unknown how congenital heart disease affects the development of bacterial colonization of the intestines. It is also unknown whether probiotics will change the bacteria in the intestine of infants with heart disease to become more like those of healthy infants without heart disease. This pilot trial is designed to address these two questions.

The purpose of this study is to compare women's cardiac rehabilitation program adherence across three program models.

Heart attacks are usually caused by a blood clot blocking an artery supplying blood to the heart. Current treatments are designed to relieve this blockage as quickly as possible to minimize damage to the heart muscle. However in restoring the supply of blood local damage known as "ischaemia-reperfusion injury" may occur. The aim of this study is to assess how clot forming and clot dissolving pathways are affected during this process, and examine the role of a natural inflammatory hormone, bradykinin. This will help the investigators to understand the mechanism by which ischaemia-reperfusion injury may occur and to devise new treatments for heart attacks.

The aim of this study is to compare a multimedia, computerised approach vs. interviewer administration of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instruments.

Since the advent of coronary stents, in-stent restenosis has proven to be the major limitation of interventional cardiology, occurring in as many as 30% of patients. Drug-eluting stents are specifically designed to prevent the problem of in-stent restenosis. They consist of a selective anti-proliferative drug, sirolimus, a controlled-release polymer, and a closed-cell stent delivery platform. Upon placement, sirolimus elutes into the vessel wall and stops the process of neointimal hyperplasia, thereby significantly reducing the incidence of in-stent restenosis. The study "Economic Evaluation of the German Drug-Eluting Stent Registry" examines the cost-effectiveness of drug-eluting stents compared to bare-metal stents (BMS) in patients with coronary stenosis. The goal of the study is to examine whether the guideline-supported implantation of SES, despite the higher initial cost, improves the quality and economic outcomes of the treatment of patients with coronary stenosis. Secondarily, the study evaluates patient quality of life, impairment of daily activities, and re-intervention rates.

The objective of this study is to compare cholesterol absorption and metabolism after feeding diets naturally low or high in phytosterols. All meals will be prepared in a metabolic kitchen and analyzed for phytosterols. In a randomized crossover design a group of up to 25 healthy subjects will consume diets containing either 100 mg/day or 600 mg/day phytosterols for 4 weeks. At the end of each dietary period percent cholesterol absorption, fecal cholesterol excretion and LDL cholesterol level will be measured. The hypothesis is that LDL cholesterol and cholesterol excretion will be improved on the high phytosterol diet even though macronutrient composition, mineral intake and fiber consumption are similar.