Active clinical trials for "Infarction"

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is caused by a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. Balloon angioplasty and stent placement are two treatment options for people with reduced heart function caused by CAD. This study will use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures to evaluate heart function over time in people with CAD who have undergone a balloon angioplasty or stent placement procedure.

The purpose of the study is the evaluation of multiple biomarkers related to acute coronary syndromes, including myeloid-related protein 8/14 (MRP 8/14), along with established clinical markers, for early diagnosis and risk stratification in patients presenting with acute chest pain at the emergency department. Study hypothesis: MRP 8/14, alone or together with other established or new biomarkers, increases the earliness, sensitivity, and specificity of diagnosing acute coronary syndromes.

This study was designed to investigate the influence of the acute myocardial infarction checklist on the door-to-balloon time in patients suffering from acute STEMI at Far Eastern Memorial Hospital

To assess interactions between selected cardiovascular medications and genes in the incidence of heart attack, stroke, and atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat.

The purpose of this observational study is to find characteristics and risk stratification methods for identification of subjects who have increased risk of death, especially sudden cardiac death, after acute myocardial infarction.

The myocardial salvage assessed by using multimodal cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is a rather new technique which can be used as a surrogate endpoint to reduce the sample size in studies comparing different reperfusion strategies in myocardial infarction. As reproducibility of myocardial salvage has not been evaluated appropriately, we aim to scan 20 patients on 2 subsequent days to evaluate reproducibility of myocardial salvage index.

This study will explore new ways of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate the heart and blood vessels of patients with cardiovascular disease, including better detection of myocardial infarction (heart attack) and blockage of heart and leg arteries. Patients 18 years of age and older with cardiovascular disease may be eligible for this study. All participants will have magnetic resonance imaging of the heart. MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves to show structural and chemical changes in tissues. For the procedure, the patient lies on a table surrounded by a metal cylinder (the scanner). A 'gadolinium contrast' material may be injected into the patient s vein during part of the study to brighten the images. Patients wear earplugs during the scan to muffle loud knocking sounds caused by the electrical switching of the magnetic fields. They will be asked to hold their breath intermittently for 5 to 20 seconds during the scan. They will be monitored with an electrocardiogram (EKG) during the procedure and will be in contact by intercom at all times with the person performing the scan. Patients can request to stop the study and come out of the scanner at any time. The procedure may last from 30 to 90 minutes. An echocardiogram a test that uses sound waves to produce pictures of the heart and blood vessels-may be done to confirm the MRI findings. In addition, patients may undergo one or more of the following optional studies: Dobutamine stress MRI - This test uses dobutamine-a medicine that simulates exercise by increasing heart rate and heart function-to detect blockages in the coronary arteries (vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the heart) and locate areas of the heart that are permanently damaged, perhaps by a previous heart attack. For this test, MRI pictures of the heart are taken before, during and after administration of dobutamine. Gadolinium may be injected during part of the study to brighten the images. An EKG will be used to monitor the heart during the procedure. Vasodilator MRI - The procedure and objectives of this test are the same as those described for dobutamine stress MRI, except that this study uses dipyridamole or adenosine. These drugs dilate blood vessels, causing increased blood flow to the heart. Plethysmography MRI - This test determines the presence and severity of narrowing in arteries that supply blood to the leg. Blockage of these vessels often causes pain while walking. This study will compare plethysmography MRI with venous occlusion plethysmography, an older method of measuring blood flow in the legs. For venous occlusion plethysmography, a large blood pressure cuff is placed around the upper leg and a strain gauge (thin elastic band) is placed around the calf. The pressure cuff is inflated very tightly for 5 minutes to block blood flow to the leg, and another pressure cuff over the ankle is also inflated. When the large cuff is deflated, blood rushes to the leg, a smaller cuff is inflated to a low pressure, and the strain gauge measures the maximum blood flow to the leg for 1 or 2 more minutes. This procedure is done once or twice outside the MRI scanner and once or twice inside the scanner. The scans are performed as described above for the dobutamine and vasodilator studies. The strain gauge is not used for plethysmography MRI the MRI pictures are used to measure flow.

Coronary microcirculatory dysfunction has been known to be prevalent even after successful revascularization of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients, and has been shown to be associated with poor prognosis. Angiography derived index of micro-circulatory resistance (Angio-IMR) is a novel pressure-wire free approach to assess coronary microvascular disease with great diagnostic performance. The current study will further investigate the prognostic value of Angio-IMR in patients with AMI in multicenter retrospective cohort.

Sudden death from ventricular arrhythmia is a serious and common complication of myocardial infarction, especially with low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) implantation is currently recommended at three months of optimal medical treatment in patients who have had a myocardial infarction and have a LVEF below 35%. This strategy indeed allows a reduction in mortality while early post-infarction implantation showed no benefit in terms of survival. However, the risk of sudden death at this period is the greatest and the temporary defibrillator vest, marketed under the name LifeVest, is now indicated in the early post-infarction period in patients with LVEF less than 35%. Indeed, the LifeVest would allow a reduction in sudden death of rhythmic origin in the first three months post-infarction. No study has yet investigated the prognostic significance of a ventricular rhythm disorder (ventricular tachycardia [VT] or ventricular fibrillation [VF]) occurring during this early and short (approximately 3 months) particular period of wearing the LifeVest: is this a random event, or is it an event predictive of a rhythmic recurrence? The aim of the study is to assess the association between the occurrence of a sustained ventricular rhythm disorder in the early post-infarction period, during the period of wearing the LifeVest (ventricular episodes detected, treated or not), and the risk of rhythmic recurrence at 12 months.

The study intends to investigate the alteration of regional myocardial work in patients with acute anterior myocardial infarction underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and compare the distribution of regional myocardial work in patients with/without early remodeling at acute phase and 3-month follow-up.