Active clinical trials for "Heart Diseases"

High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is in the centrum of the process of reverse cholesterol transport from peripheral cells to the liver[10]. HDL-C promotes endothelial generation of nitric oxide (NO) and improves endothelial function and arterial vasoreactivity[11]. In several studies, lower HDL-C level was reported to be associated with increased coronary artery disease (CAD) risk[12-14]. HDL-C also has anti- inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities[15,16]. Concerning anti-inflammatory activity, HDL-C inhibits the activation of monocytes/macrophages and neutrophils[17,18] and inhibits the expression of endothelial adhesion molecules, such as vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and E-selectin[15]. In this study we aimed to investigate the relation of HDL-C level with systemic inflammatory markers in patients with cardiac syndrome X (CSX).

The aim of this study is evaluate the clinical, hemodynamic and electrocardiographic responses during an inspiratory muscle training session during a single cardiopulmonary rehabilitation session program. An electrocardiogram will be continuously recorded and the heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) will be evaluated before, during and immediately after a single inspiratory muscle training (IMT) session, consisting of two series of 15 cycles, with one-minute intervals between sets and an initial load of at least 30% of the initial maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP).

This study is being done to compare the blood flow measurements obtained with the SPECT and PET imaging scans. Measurements such as myocardial blood flow (MBF) and myocardial flow reserve (MFR) are analyzed on PET scans. These measurements give the doctors more precise information in diagnosing heart problems. SPECT scans, with new camera technology and computer software, now have the potential to also give this additional information. The study is investigating how well the blood flow measurements from SPECT compared to PET.

Cardiac output (CO) is an important parameter in the diagnosis and therapy of cardiac diseases. The current standard methods for the determination of CO, however, are either invasive (e.g. right heart catheterization) or technically expendable and expensive (magnetic resonance tomography, MRT). Therefore, the aim of the study at hand was to evaluate NICOM (bioreactance) as a new method for determinion of CO and to compare this new technique to MRT.

Background: - An acquired heart disease is one that a person gets after they are born. Two of these are rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF). They are found more commonly in people who live in Africa than in other places in the world. Researchers want to learn more about these diseases. They especially want to know what role genes and other factors play in them. Objective: - To identify genetic risk factors for RHD and EMF in sub-Saharan Africa. Eligibility: Children and adults with RHD or EMF. Healthy volunteers over age 10. Design: Participants will come from existing study groups in Uganda and Nigeria. Participants may be required to provide a sample of their DNA. They will do this with either a blood or saliva sample or a swab of the mouth. Collected samples will be labeled with a code and sent to a lab in the United States for analysis. Remaining portions of participants samples will be stored for an unlimited period of time. They may be used in future studies. Some genetic and health information from participants might be placed into one or more scientific databases. Participant names and identifying information will be kept private. But there is a small chance someone could trace them from their genetic information.

The purpose of this study is to examine the differences in perceived health, psychosocial functioning, behavioral outcomes and quality of life of adults with congenital heart disease who are living in different areas of the world, and how these differences can be understood (e.g., differences in sense of coherence or illness perceptions).

Moderate and heavy strength training exercise and the acute blood pressure rise in cardiac patient, how high?

A growing interest in monitoring cardiac output (CO) non-invasively has emerged, however its determination has been difficult using the standard approaches. The aim of the study is to evaluate the accuracy and precision of pulse contour analysis (PCA) as compared to cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR).

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of genetic variation in the oxidative stress response on critical perioperative and short-term outcomes after neonatal heart surgery. The goals will be to determine 1) if the oxidative stress pathway is an important one for therapeutic intervention in neonates with severe congenital heart defects and 2) if variants in the oxidative response pathway can be used to identify patients at increased risk for adverse outcomes.

A series of studies in patients with major depression have consistently demonstrated a doubling of the mortality rate at any age, independent of suicide. In addition, the relative risk for clinically significant coronary artery disease in patients with major depression is also 2 or more in studies that independently controlled for risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, etc. The principal long-term goals of the CNE include the determination of the mechanisms that underlie enhanced susceptibility to premature ischemic heart disease in patients with major depression, documenting the age at which demonstrable pathophysiologic or predictive changes begin to occur, and charting their rate of progression. Our long-term goal is to use our understanding of underlying mechanisms to enhance our capacity to predict who with major depression is most likely to develop premature ischemic heart disease, to determine what the mechanisms underlying this susceptibility are, and to develop improved means for treatment and prevention. Depressed patients are known to manifest a variety of neuroendocrine changes that predispose to coronary artery disease including hypercortisolism, decreased secretion of growth hormone and a deficiency of sex steroids. A final common denominator of these neuroendocrine abnormalities is insulin resistance. Insulin resistance promotes several changes that would favor hypertension and increased coronary artery disease including increased sodium retention, increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system, proliferation of vascular smooth muscle and deposition of highly metabolically active visceral fat. The latter induces additional risk factors for coronary disease, including dyslipidemia, hypercoagulation, and enhanced inflammation. It is a matter of public health importance to document the frequency and severity of insulin resistance in patients with major depression compared to a closely matched group of healthy controls. To accurately quantify insulin resistance in each patient and control, we will apply the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic glucose clamp procedure. This is the gold standard method for measuring the insulin sensitivity since it reflects the direct human body glucose metabolic response to a known insulin infusion. Moreover, it is essential to use this technique in patients with major depression as data indicate that other alternative procedures give unreliable results in the context of hypercortisolism.