Active clinical trials for "Ischemia"

People who have had a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA or "mini-stroke") are at high risk of having another stroke or a heart attack. Conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol, along with other lifestyle behaviors (e.g., smoking), substantially increase the risk of stroke and heart disease. Aggressive treatment of these risk factors however, can significantly reduce the chance of another stroke, heart attack or death. This study will look at different ways to optimize blood pressure and cholesterol levels and educate people about positive lifestyle changes.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the peripheral IV continuous infusion without the insertion of central venous vascular access method in the achievement of steady-state maximal coronary hyperemia compared with the central IV continuous infusion method.

Perioperative myocardial injury is a serious complication of cardiac surgery. This complication increases both mortality and morbidity of cardiac surgery. Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) is the concept that brief ischemia followed by reperfusion in an organ can reduce subsequent ischemia-reperfusion injury in distant organs. Recent several clinical trials showed powerful myocardial protective effect of remote ischemic preconditioning by reducing postoperative cardiac enzymes. However, the evidence that remote ischemic preconditioning can improve the clinical outcomes such as mortality and morbidity, is still lacking. The investigators perform a multicenter randomized controlled study to evaluate that remote ischemic preconditioning can improve the outcomes of cardiac surgery.

Rationale: Apart from their cholesterol lowering effects, statins have cholesterol-independent pleiotropic actions, such as upregulation of 5'-ectonucleotidase and up-regulation of NO-synthase that may increase tolerance against ischemia-reperfusion injury (IR-injury). Several animal studies have shown reduction of IR-injury as a result of statin treatment in both the heart and the kidney. Recently the investigators have shown, using Annexin A5 targeting after voluntary ischemic exercise to assess IR-injury, a protective effect of a 7 day oral rosuvastatin treatment. A three day treatment with atorvastatin however failed to reduce annexin targeting. Assessment of the flow mediated dilation of the brachial artery as measure of endothelial (dys)function, is a validated model to research effects of possible protective strategies and perform mechanistic experiments on IR-injury in humans in vivo. The investigators hypothesize that pretreatment with statins can increase endothelial tolerance against ischemia and reperfusion injury. Objective: To study the protective effect of pretreatment (both 3 day and 7 day) with rosuvastatin and atorvastatin on flow mediated dilation after 15 minutes ischemia and 15 minutes reperfusion. Study design: placebo-controlled randomised double-blind trial Study population: Healthy volunteers, age 18-50 Intervention: Treatment with either rosuvastatin 20 mg, atorvastatin 80mg or placebo during either 3 or 7 days Main study parameters: Difference in flow mediated dilation before and after 15 minutes ischemia. Nature and extent of the burden and risks associated with participation, benefit and group relatedness: Treatment with rosuvastatin or atorvastatin is not expected to harm the volunteers. Most reported side effects of rosuvastatin and atorvastatin are gastro-intestinal complains and myalgia. The volunteers will not benefit directly from participating in this study.

Remote ischaemic preconditioning has shown its cardiac protective effect during heart surgery including coronary artery bypass graft surgery, congenital heart disease and aneurysm. However, no data was reported on heart valve disease surgery. Rheumatic heart disease is one of the major heart diseases requiring surgery in China. Thus, the investigators chose heart valve disease as a focus to see whether remote ischaemic preconditioning also has cardiac protective effect during heart valve surgery.

Rationale: Due to western lifestyle human coronary arteries are prone to develop atherosclerotic plaques. Hence the heart is an important target organ for atherothrombotic complications: myocardial ischemia, arrhythmias, myocardial infarction and heart failure. To alleviate symptoms and decrease mortality in these patients, myocardial revascularisation is recommended. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is indicated in patients with severe atherosclerotic disease of all three coronary arteries or the left main stem coronary artery. Cardiac ischemia and reperfusion injury during CABG is inevitable and jointly accountable for complications that occur after CABG (e.g. death, myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, stroke, or renal complications). Dipyridamole has been shown to reduce ischemia reperfusion injury in healthy volunteers using an intermediate endpoint and may prevent cardiovascular death or event in secondary prevention after cerebrovascular disease. The investigators hypothesise that oral pre-treatment with dipyridamole can increase cardiac tissue tolerance against ischemia and reperfusion injury due to CABG. The investigators expect lower troponin-I release in patients who were pretreated with dipyridamole. Objective: To study the effect of oral pretreatment with dipyridamole on high sensitivity (HS)-troponin-I release after CABG. Secondary objectives are whether oral pretreatment with dipyridamole reduces postoperative CABG arrhythmias, prolonged inotropic support, and duration of Intensive Care-stay. Further secondary endpoints are the effects of dipyridamole pretreatment on renal injury and post-ischemic recovery of contractile function (measured ex-vivo). Hypothesis: The investigators hypothesize that oral pre-treatment with dipyridamole can increase cardiac tissue tolerance against ischemia and reperfusion injury. The investigators expect lower HS-troponin-I release in patients who were pretreated with dipyridamole. Additionally the investigators expect the incidence of arrhythmias, need for prolonged inotropic support (longer than 24 hours postoperative) to be decreased in pretreated patients.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether nerve growth factor (cerebrolysin®) therapy will improve the psychomotor outcome in infants with moderate and severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy after hospital discharge.

Aim of this randomized controlled study is to test if intensive polyintervention therapy including life style modifications targeting at reduction of modifiable risk factors of stroke can reduce the risk of post-stroke cognitive decline compared to a group of patients receiving standard care.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a new cerebral oxygen monitoring device is effective and comparatively similar to the current approved devices.

Perinatal asphyxia-induced brain injury is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in term and preterm neonates. Birth asphyxia accounts for 23% of neonatal deaths globally and survivors suffer from long term neurological disability and impairment. Although many neuroprotective strategies appeared promising in animal models, most of them were not feasible and effective in human newborns. However, hypothermia was reported not to be effective if introduced beyond and thus should be introduced within 6 hrs after birth.Applying this selection criterion naturally would deprive many patients of the opportunity of hypothermia treatment.