Active clinical trials for "Myocardial Infarction"

Sudden death is a natural death occurring within one hour after the onset of symptoms. It remains a major public health problem and accounts for 5 to 10 % of the annual total mortality ie about 300.000 in the United States. Despite community-based interventions, overall survival remains below 5%. Better understanding of the mechanisms causing sudden death could allow early identification of high risk subjects and implementation of specific prevention strategies. The cause of more than 90% of sudden deaths is cardiac with ventricular fibrillation or fast ventricular tachycardia complicating an underlying heart disease. Coronary heart disease and its consequences account for at least 80% of sudden cardiac deaths. Several risk factors associated with sudden death and not with myocardial infarction have been identified in population-based studies. However, the relationship between the occurrence of a coronary artery occlusion and the onset of arrhythmia is unclear. In particular, coronary artery occlusion can be rapidly followed by chest pain, which acts as a signal and allows identification of patients for emergency reperfusion. However, in some cases, the coronary artery occlusion is followed by a sudden onset of arrhythmia and sudden death. Recent data suggest that acute coronary occlusion is caused by plaque erosion or rupture and is followed by an intense local inflammation and rapid thrombus formation. Our hypothesis is that the speed of thrombus formation and coronary occlusion determines the clinical symptoms. Slow and progressive thrombus formation is likely to induce myocardial pre-conditioning thereby reducing the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmia. In contrast, rapid thrombus formation followed by acute coronary artery occlusion and ischemia is more likely to trigger fatal ventricular arrhythmia. During angioplasty procedures, coronary artery thrombus are aspirated, providing the opportunity for pathological studies. The aim of the TIDE study (Thrombus and Inflammation in Sudden Death) is therefore to compare the composition and age of thrombus collected at the site of coronary occlusion in patients with sudden death due to acute coronary artery occlusion and patients with an acute myocardial infarction without ventricular arrhythmia. The following hypothesis will be tested : fresh thrombus is more frequent in patients with sudden cardiac death versus patients with acute myocardial infarction without ventricular arrhythmia.

This purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between HMGB-1 and postinfarction predictors of outcome such as cardiopulmonary and echocardiographic parameters before and after a 6-month exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation program.

Cardiac rehabilitation programmes are a proven treatment for individuals with recent myocardial infarction, resulting in reduced morbidity and mortality compared to usual care. Unfortunately, following completion of a cardiac rehabilitation programme, risk factors and lifestyle behaviours may deteriorate. The GOSPEL study investigates the benefits of a programme of continued educational and behavioural intervention to achieve optimal long-term secondary prevention goals.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to determine how effective the telephone-based counseling program is at helping patients with heart disease become more physically active. Hypotheses to be tested: Compared to usual care, patients in the physical activity counseling program will: significantly increase total distance measured by an accelerometer and minutes of physical activity at a moderate intensity or higher, have significantly higher generic and heart-disease health-related quality of life, and will lead to greater improvements in the mediators of behavior change (psychosocial variables, i.e. self-efficacy, outcome expectations, etc.) at 26 and 52 weeks; Changes in the mediators of physical activity will predict changes in physical activity outcomes at 26 and 52 weeks; The physical activity counseling program is preferable to usual care from the perspective of health care system costs.

The primary goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of direct-to-patient mailings designed to increase patient's adherence to prescribed beta-blockers following an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Prior to developing patient materials, focus groups were conducted with patient who had previously suffered an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) to identify the issues and information that patients felt were important to include in our materials as well as the best way to present the information. Additionally, patient materials were "pre-tested" with AMI patients to ensure that the materials were clear and easy to read and that the key messages were understood.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a left ventricular assist device in comparison to a standard treatment with an intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) in patients with cardiogenic shock due to left ventricular failure following an acute coronary syndrome (myocardial infarction).

To assist busy primary care clinicians in VA Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) in managing complex patients by providing a single, interactive, and personalized source of information regarding applicable guidelines for post-MI patients. Specifically, 1) the investigators will identify barriers to provider adherence to guidelines within VHA clinics; 2) Apply guideline-based performance measures to electronic medical records (CPRS) and associated administrative data; 3) Implement the interactive Internet intervention developed by the NHLBI study, after inclusion of VA-specific components, including performance feedback for CBOC clinicians; and 4) Test hypotheses on the intervention's effectiveness, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness in both the VA and Medicare populations. This will include a randomized controlled trial with the CBOC as a unit of randomization.

The objective of this study is to identify Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) patients' specific needs and preferences for depression treatment via in-person or virtual individual interviews to (a) guide MBCT adaptation; and identify barriers and facilitators to (b) group videoconferencing delivery, and (c) blood spot data collection to enhance feasibility. Through qualitative measures participants will report specific physical, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms to be targeted in the intervention, discuss barriers and facilitators to participating in a video-conference treatment program and completing blood spot data collection procedures.

The long-term study goal is to develop a more engaging, motivating gait biofeedback methodologies specifically designed for post-stroke gait training. The current project aims to address fundamental questions regarding the optimal methodology to deliver AGRF biofeedback during gait, and the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of AGRF progression protocols for improved gait patterns and gait function. The study objectives are to (1) evaluate the immediate effects of biofeedback training methodology on gait biomechanics; and (2) evaluate the feasibility and short-term effects on gait performance of a real-time biofeedback protocol incorporating progression criteria (similar to those employed during clinical rehabilitative training).

Researchers are looking for a better way to prevent the formation of blood clots in people who have or have had: an irregular and often rapid heartbeat a blocked blood flow to the heart a blocked or reduced blood flow to a part of the brain. When a blood clot forms in the body in patients with the above conditions, it may block vessels of the heart, the brain and/or other parts of the body. This may lead to heart attack, stroke and other serious complications. Blood clots are formed in a process known as coagulation. This is a complex series of steps that must occur in a specific sequence. Medications are already available to prevent the formation of blood clots. They work by interrupting one or more of the coagulation steps and are therefore known as anticoagulants. They decrease the risk of the above-mentioned complications. The study treatment asundexian works by blocking a very specific step in the blood clotting process, the activation of a protein called Factor XIa. Due to its very specific action that is not thought to be involved in the main blood clotting steps needed to stop bleeding (e.g. like from a cut finger), asundexian is expected to reduce the risk of bleeding that is still seen with existing anticoagulants. Since people who need an anticoagulant may also have liver problems, information on asundexian use in this group is needed. The main purpose of this study is to learn how asundexian moves into, through and out of the body in participants with a mild or moderate reduction in liver function compared to participants with normal liver function who are similar in age, weight, and gender. To answer this question, researchers will measure the average highest level of asundexian in the blood (also referred to as Cmax) the average total level of asundexian in the blood (also referred to as AUC). that were reached after intake of a single tablet of asundexian. The researchers will compare these data between participants with reduced liver function and matched participants with normal liver function to look for differences. Each participant will be in the study for up to 4 weeks. Participants will stay in-house for 6 days, starting the day before taking asundexian. In addition, two visits to the study site are planned. During the study, the doctors and their study team will: do physical examinations check vital signs take blood and urine samples examine heart health using an electrocardiogram (ECG) ask the participants questions about how they are feeling and what adverse events they are having. An adverse event is any medical problem that a participant has during a study. Doctors keep track of all adverse events that happen in studies, even if they do not think the adverse events might be related to the study treatments.