Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Pilot Study
Hypertrophic CardiomyopathyCoronary Artery DiseaseThis study evaluates mechanisms of arrhythmogenicity in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, in comparison to patients with well-understood arrhythmogenic substrate (ischemic cardiomyopathy), as well as to individuals free from arrhythmogenic substrate
Identification of Cardiovascular and Molecular Prognostic Factors for the Mid- and Long-term Outcome...
SepsisSeptic Cardiomyopathy1 moreSepsis is a life-threatening condition which can affect people of any age. An infection triggers a host response resulting in organ failure. The extent of the organ dysfunction varies between patients and during the course of the condition. Thus far, the only causal treatment option consists in treating the infection early e. g. by an operation or the use of antibiotics. Owing to advances in modern critical care, more patients survive sepsis. Nonetheless, sepsis survivors frequently show impaired organ function, physical disability and considerably decreased health-related quality of life. It is hypothesized that sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction - septic cardiomyopathy - may influence mortality. The relationship between occurrence of cardiovascular dysfunction and metabolic changes in the course of sepsis remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study is the investigation of cardiovascular function, oxygen consumption and metabolic changes in septic patients. Apart from cardiological routine procedures (echo- and electrocardiography) a newly developed method for measuring the oxygen tension and consumption, bioelectrical impedance analysis for body composition estimation and liver fibrosis assessment via transient elastography will be employed. Through blood, stool and urine analysis, both routine parameters and parameters focusing on patient metabolism will be analysed. Septic patients will be assessed in the acute phase (3 and 7 days after sepsis diagnosis), the stable phase (at intensive care unit discharge) and after full or incomplete recovery (during two outpatient visits at 6 and 12 months after sepsis diagnosis). The results will be compared with healthy individuals and patients with existing heart disease (cardiomyopathy). The study aims to identify clinical parameters and signaling pathways involved in the development and course of sepsis. Furthermore, specific parameters associated with the medium- and long-term health status, physical performance and quality of life after sepsis are to be identified. The overall aim of the study is the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in sepsis.
Assessment of Right Ventricular Function in Advanced Heart Failure
Dilated CardiomyopathyHeart FailureWe examined the feasibility and reliability of a combined echocardiographic and right heart catheterization (RHC) approach for right ventriculo/arterial (R-V/A) coupling assessment in HF patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (D-CMP).
Left Ventricular Dysfunction in Critically Ill Patients
Left Ventricular DysfunctionCritically Ill3 moreLeft ventricular dysfunction is common in the critically ill. The aim of this study is to assess the incidence and prognosis of left ventricular dysfunction in critically ill patients.
Correlation Between Myocardial Deformation and Coronary Artery Tortuosity in Patients With Hypertrophic...
Myocardial DeformationCoronary Artery Anomaly3 moreCorrelation between Myocardial Deformation and Coronary Tortuosity and Analysis of Genetic Factors Among Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Patients
Burden of Disease Study In Patients With Transthyretin Familial Amyloidosis Polyneuropathy (TTR-FAP)...
Transthyretin Familial Amyloidosis Polyneuropathy (TTR-FAP)Transthyretin Cardiomyopathy (TTR-CM)2 moreThis study is an online (web-based) or paper-based survey for patients with transthyretin familial amyloidosis polyneuropathy (TTR-FAP) and caregivers. The results will be used to describe the emotional, physical, and financial impact of having TTR-FAP or caring for someone who has the disease.
Speckle Tracking in Pediatric Patients
CardiomyopathyAn echocardiogram, also called a cardiac ultrasound or echo, is a medical test that takes pictures of the heart using sound waves. It shows images of the structures of the heart without using radiation. During the last year, the FDA has approved a new technology called Speckle Tracking that can look at the heart wall motion and contraction (pumping or squeezing) abnormalities. The study will also employ tissue Doppler and 3-Dimensional echo and uses the same echocardiographic machines which are used right now. The machines are upgraded with the new software application. This new technology is currently being used in adults, but unfortunately, there is almost no published data about normal heart function in infants and children using this technology. It is known from other technologies that the developing child's heart is not the same as an adult. The investigators wish to study this new technology and compare it to other technologies currently being used.
The Preventive Efficacy of Carvedilol on Cardiac Dysfunction in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Duchenne Muscular DystrophyCardiomyopathiesPurpose This cardiac dysfunction in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy is associated with minor cardiac damage as indicated by elevation of plasma cardiac troponin I (cTnI). The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the administration of Carvedilol can suppress the minor cardiac damage and prevent deterioration of cardiac function.
The Perceived Impact of Children s Risk Status for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy on Families: an Exploratory...
Cardiovascular DiseaseThis study proposes to describe how children s hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) risk status affects family functioning, behaviors, and relationships. HCM is the most common inherited cardiovascular single-gene disorder. Individuals with HCM may experience shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations, dizziness, syncope, heart failure, and arrhythmias predisposing to sudden cardiac death at any age. Notably, HCM is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in people under 30 years of age. Genetic testing can identify at-risk individuals; however, the impact of potentially life-altering genetic information on families remains largely unexplored. Increasingly, health care providers are providing the testing in children for conditions like HCM that are life-threatening and medically manageable without the benefit of understanding the psychological consequences. The few studies that have been conducted suggest that genetic testing in children may result in changes to family relationships, parental emotional wellbeing, parenting behaviors, and child functioning in a subset of children. One synthesis of these studies suggests that children as a group show little evidence for maladjustment to risk information, but that parents are affected by the carrier status of their children. The proposed study intends to further this body of knowledge by exploring the impact of children s risk status on families with HCM. Health care providers and researchers can inform their work with HCM families by better understanding the potential impact of genetic risk as an important component of families adaptation to the life-threatening information about their children. The families targeted for this exploratory study will be purposively sampled from those that have been aware of the children s risk status or not at-risk status for HCM for at least 3 months. The cross-sectional design is composed of semi-structured interviews with a parent and, separately, with his/her 13 to 23 year-old child who is either a carrier for HCM, a non-carrier, or at 50% risk for being a carrier. The interview will target issues related to the perceived impact of the child s risk status on family functioning, parenting behaviors and relationships. Data from the parent-child dyads will be analyzed for concordance/discordance along parallel themes. The results of this study may facilitate the understanding of the perceived impact of learning children s HCM risk status, which will inform both clinical care and future research. Importantly, since predictive testing in children for adult-onset diseases is generally discouraged, very little is actually known about its impact on families. Therefore, the study of this unique subgroup of an HCM population that uses clinically indicated predictive testing in childhood offers a preliminary opportunity to learn about predictive testing of minors....
Morphological Predictors of Sudden Cardiac Death in Patients With Known Cardiomyopathies
CardiomyopathyThis is a pilot study to find a correlation between MRI and ICD therapy in patients with known cardiomyopathies, aiming to determine if cardiac scarring identified by MRI correlates with ventricular arrhythmias and the occurrence of ICD therapy.