Active clinical trials for "Calcinosis"

Maternal vitamin D deficiency has been suggested to influence fetal and neonatal health. The role of placenta in vitamin D regulation is known but alteration of Vitamin D levels at placental pathologies is unknown. Placental calcification is usually thought to be a physiological aging process. Nevertheless, it can be a pathological change resulting from the effects of environmental factors on the placenta. The aim of the investigators study was to evaluate the relationship between placental calcification and maternal and cord blood 25-hydroxyvitamin-D3 [25(OH)D] and calcium concentrations in low-risk obstetric population at term and their consequences.

Women who attend for their screening mammogram will be recalled if an abnormality is detected on the screening mammogram. Calcifications account for 20% of the women recalled to second stage screening. Currently there is no effective imaging tool to determine if the calcifications are cancer or not. Therefore, 90% of women will be subjected to a biopsy. 25-30% of the biopsies will show cancer. Contrast enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) is where contrast is given and then a mammogram performed. The theory is that high risk DCIS and invasive cancers have an increased blood supply and will therefore enhance more than benign lesions within the breast. If CESM can identify calcifications that are cancerous then we maybe able to reduce the number of women who have benign biopsies. This is patient focused as women would not require a biopsy and be able to be reassured at the same visit. This is also a cost-saving for the Trust by reducing unnecessary biopsies. This also supports the findings of the Marmot review by aiming to reduce harm by over-diagnosis.

This study to compare periprocedural safety, angiographic success as well as short and long term outcomes of intravascular lithotripsy and rotational atherectomy as a method of severely calcified coronary lesion preparation before DES implantation.

Background Calcification of the aortic valve affects more than 26% of adult patients over 65 years of age and is the main indication for valve replacement in the United States of America. Previous evidence shows that aortic valve calcification is an active biological process associated with inflammation. The only actual treatment for severe aortic stenosis is surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR). The materials with which the different types of prostheses are manufactured could induce inflammation per se. Biological prostheses, an incomplete cell removal process and therefore, the presence of residual proteins of animal origin, could induce the immune system's response. In the manufacturing bioprosthesis at the "Ignacio Chávez" National Institute of Cardiology (INC), an evaluation was carried out in the early, and late post-surgical period, it was shown that the inflammatory response after six months is similar to that produced by mechanical prosthesis. This study's main objective is to evaluate the inflammatory response in patients with post-operated AVR due to biological or mechanical prosthetic valve through different plasma biomarkers in long-term follow-up. Research question What is the inflammatory response and calcification in patients who undergo aortic valve replacement for a manufactured prosthesis at the "Ignacio Chávez" National Institute of Cardiology in the long-term follow-up? Hypothesis Manufactured bioprostheses at the "Ignacio Chávez" National Institute of Cardiology show a similar or lower inflammatory response to imported bioprostheses or mechanical prostheses associated with less valve dysfunction and more outstanding durability.

Many people develop calcium deposits in the heart as they get older. One of the common places for this to occur is the mitral annulus, the band of tissue that supports the mitral valve (one of four heart valves). The purpose of this study is to examine effects of these deposits (termed mitral annular calcification or "MAC") on a person's ability to perform exercise. The research team will use ultrasound of the heart (Doppler echocardiography) to study people with MAC while they exercise on a specially designed bicycle.

Intervention study focused on preventing the progression of aortic valve calcification. Vascular and cardiac calcifications are a marker of risk and poor outcome, especially the severe calcified aortic stenosis and coronary calcification. Its increasing prevalence is now a health problem. The knowledge and the therapeutic objective of this condition have changed in recent years and pathophysiological aspects at present, focus on atherosclerotic disease and inflammation. Several clinical trials have failed to demonstrate that statins or ACE inhibitors prevent the progression of cardiovascular calcification. Taking into account the new concepts of ectopic calcification and research results from our group, the most logical approach to prevent progression would be an early intervention and management of the calcification inhibiting agents such as phytate (inositol six-phosphate -- InsP6). Hypothesis: The phytate prevents or delays the progression of cardiovascular calcification. It is a clinical trial of intervention of oral phytate (InsP6) in patients with mild to moderate cardiovascular calcification (aortic valve and / or coronary arteries) compared with placebo over a period of 24 months. It is a prospective, randomized minimization of variables to ensure homogeneity of the groups. The primary analysis will be the time evolution of the extent of calcium in the aortic valve and coronary arteries made with CT. Secondary variables are the degree of progression of aortic stenosis and clinical events (death, stroke, angina, stroke and cancer of any type).

Diabetes is not a coronary risk equivalent, despite cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in diabetes. So, to identify diabetic patients at high cardiovascular risk is necessary. Coronary artery calcification score predicts major coronary events, and improves risk reclassification in asymptomatic diabetic patients. But, cornary artery calcification score is expensive and exposes patients to radiation. So, it cannot be used for large-scale screening. It could be interesting to identify the predictive factors of coronary artery calcification score. Toe-brachial index is relevant in diabetic patients for the screening of peripheral arterial disease, and predicts cardiovascular events. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between toe-brachial index and coronary artery calcification score in asymptomatic patients with type 1 or 2 diabetes. The hypothesis is that toe-brachial index is associated with high coronary artery calcification score. It could be performed first to identify patients who require a coronary artery calcification score. It measurement is reliable, fully automated, repoducible ans cost-effectiveness. This is a cross-sectional study, with restrospective data collection. All patients addressed to a one-day hospitalization to assess cardiovascular comorbidities are eligible. Data are collected in patients'medical records. Clinical, biological and imaging data were collected previously during their one-day hospitalization

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), which means that it is important to find out risk factors of CVD in order to prevent or treat it. In recent years, there has been more and more recognition of a very high prevalence of CV calcification in the ESRD population. Many observational cohort studies have shown that CV calcification in these patients can predict mortality, CV mortality and morbidity. Electrolyte imbalance is easily found in the ESRD patients which may result in vessel calcification. Calcification leads to arterial stenosis and increasing arterial stiffness and then heart afterload, both contribute to the development of CVD. Besides, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia pave the way for a chronic, immune-mediated vascular inflammation and cardiovascular disease. These factors are prevalent in ESRD patients, which would also cause arterial stiffness. Arterial stiffness and stenosis would increase the risk of CV events and mortality. Aortic pulse wave velocity is strongly associated with the presence and extent of atherosclerosis and constitutes a forceful marker and predictor of cardiovascular risk. At the same time, high prevalence of peripheral artery occlusion disease (PAOD) should also be found while arterial stiffness and stenosis, which would increase the condition of infection and gangrene. Thus, life safety and quality would be influenced severely and early detection might prevent future amputation. As compared with HD or pre-dialysis patients, uremic patients treated with PD have a higher risk for metabolic syndrome. Therefore, more studies to evaluate the condition of arterial stiffness and PAOD, especially in PD patients, are needed for future management and preventions of CV related morbidity and mortality.

This pilot study aims to evaluate in an exploratory way the predictive power of a novel in vitro test (T50 Calcification Inhibition Test, T50 CIT), which measures the mineralization inhibition capacity of blood, in terms of its association with time to all-cause mortality in haemodialysis patients.

In this open, prospective, non-randomised, parallel group, unicentric pilot-study will be compared the progress of valvular and coronary calcification with regard to the therapy with either acetyl-salicylic acid or phenprocoumon. The progress of calcification is documented by comparison of cardial stratified computed tomography. It is supposed that treatment with phenprocumon leads to increased coronary and valvular calcification as well to decreased blood levels of carboxylated matrix-GLA-protein