Active clinical trials for "Myocardial Ischemia"

The real impact of cardiac surgery and coronary angioplasty remains to be clarified and, where appropriate, the influencing factors in a way beneficial or deleterious remain to be identified. The identification of such factors could make even faster screening, prevention and therefore open therapeutic prospects for those patients. The objective of the study is to constitute a prospective cohort to assess the occurrence of cognitive decline after cardiac surgery (200 patients) and coronary angioplasty (200 patients) using the scale Dementia rating scale (DRS) of Mattis. In addition, the investigators will identify factors that influence positively or negatively, the occurrence of such a cognitive decline. The study based on a systematic monitoring of clinical, biological, imaging and pharmacological factors and, to correlate the respective influence of these factors on the incidence of cognitive decline.

This study will be co-ordinated by Dr Hector Chinoy, Dr Robert G Cooper (Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust / The University of Manchester) and Dr Ian N Bruce (Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust/ The University of Manchester). An initial pilot study will be completed, to establish proof of concept of the study and to examine whether trends may observed of differences between cases and controls. Twenty five prevalent UK Caucasian adult IIM cases, confirmed by internationally accepted criteria, will be recruited via the Adult Onset Myositis clinic, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust. Age, gender and race-matched controls will be recruited on a 'best friend' system. At the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility (WTCRF), The University of Manchester, facilities are already available for B-mode ultrasound CIMT measurement, Endo-PAT, lean body mass measurement and contrast echocardiography. Cases and controls will have their cardiovascular risk factors assessed using a standardised questionnaire and blood tests. Further tests performed will include blood pressure, electrocardiogram, lean body mass, B-mode ultrasound CIMT measurement and Endo-PAT. IIM cases will have additional blood tests and a clinical assessment to assess their disease status, and contrast echocardiography. As part of a linked study, subjects (but not controls) will also have Gd-DTPA-MRI of the heart performed.

The purpose of this study is to compare women's cardiac rehabilitation program adherence across three program models.

Heart attacks are usually caused by a blood clot blocking an artery supplying blood to the heart. Current treatments are designed to relieve this blockage as quickly as possible to minimize damage to the heart muscle. However in restoring the supply of blood local damage known as "ischaemia-reperfusion injury" may occur. The aim of this study is to assess how clot forming and clot dissolving pathways are affected during this process, and examine the role of a natural inflammatory hormone, bradykinin. This will help the investigators to understand the mechanism by which ischaemia-reperfusion injury may occur and to devise new treatments for heart attacks.

Purpose: In patients with coronary artery disease, aspirin and Plavix are used increasingly to prevent the formation of blood clots in the coronary arteries. These drugs exert their beneficial effects by irreversibly blocking platelets, the compounds found in blood responsible for clotting after an injury or during a heart attack. However, these effects also place patients at increased risk for bleeding after coronary artery bypass surgery. Therefore, it is currently recommended to withhold Plavix therapy for 5 days before undergoing surgery in order to reduce the incidence of bleeding. However, it has been repeatedly shown that Plavix exerts variable effects on different patients, which may be partially explained by poor absorption, drug-drug interaction, and by variations in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) which constitutes your genes. In addition, the time required for platelets to regain function after Plavix treatment has been shown to vary between patients. Therefore, by measuring platelet function, it may be possible to determine the optimal amount of time required to withhold Plavix before undergoing bypass surgery, which may improve rates of bleeding following the procedure. The purpose of this study is to classify patients into groups based on platelet function in order to define the ideal time period for delaying surgery. By analyzing the amount of time required for platelet recovery, it is expected that surgery-related bleeding will decrease without increasing the risk of blood clot formation. Eligibility: Approximately 200 patients requiring CABG will be enrolled at Sinai Hospital, which is the only site where this study is being conducted. To be eligible you must: Be able to provide written informed consent. Be between the ages of 18-85 and require CABG. Currently be on aspirin therapy (81-325mg).

Since the advent of coronary stents, in-stent restenosis has proven to be the major limitation of interventional cardiology, occurring in as many as 30% of patients. Drug-eluting stents are specifically designed to prevent the problem of in-stent restenosis. They consist of a selective anti-proliferative drug, sirolimus, a controlled-release polymer, and a closed-cell stent delivery platform. Upon placement, sirolimus elutes into the vessel wall and stops the process of neointimal hyperplasia, thereby significantly reducing the incidence of in-stent restenosis. The study "Economic Evaluation of the German Drug-Eluting Stent Registry" examines the cost-effectiveness of drug-eluting stents compared to bare-metal stents (BMS) in patients with coronary stenosis. The goal of the study is to examine whether the guideline-supported implantation of SES, despite the higher initial cost, improves the quality and economic outcomes of the treatment of patients with coronary stenosis. Secondarily, the study evaluates patient quality of life, impairment of daily activities, and re-intervention rates.

Serum NGAL has been described as a biomarker of neutrophil activation and an inflammatory marker which correlates to obesity and its metabolic complications. Since neutrophil activation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease, the investigators hypothesized that serum NGAL levels would be higher in patients with CAD and that serum concentration would correlate with the extent of CAD as documented by coronary angiography, serving as a potential biomarker of the severity of CAD.

The objective of this study is to compare cholesterol absorption and metabolism after feeding diets naturally low or high in phytosterols. All meals will be prepared in a metabolic kitchen and analyzed for phytosterols. In a randomized crossover design a group of up to 25 healthy subjects will consume diets containing either 100 mg/day or 600 mg/day phytosterols for 4 weeks. At the end of each dietary period percent cholesterol absorption, fecal cholesterol excretion and LDL cholesterol level will be measured. The hypothesis is that LDL cholesterol and cholesterol excretion will be improved on the high phytosterol diet even though macronutrient composition, mineral intake and fiber consumption are similar.

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of extreme fitness in women. The incidence of coronary artery disease observed via multislice computed tomography (MSCT) angiogram will be compared with age and risk-matched controls from both sedentary and fitness activity groups who have never been significant runners. Life style, training volume and risk factors will be assessed.

This study will measure blood levels of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and nitric oxide (NO) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who are participating in a 3-month cardiac rehabilitation program at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, MD. EPCs are a kind of stem cell produced by the bone marrow that can develop into cells found in arteries and in the heart and, therefore, can repair diseased vessels. The study will examine whether the EPCs are affected by exercise and will look at how they may contribute to repair of cells lining the diseased arteries as a result of participation in the rehabilitation program. People with coronary artery disease may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history, physical examination, electrocardiogram, and blood tests. CAD patients also to a treadmill exercise test. Volunteers' participation ends at the screening visit. The blood drawn at screening is used to identify EPC specific genes to compare with the EPC genes from patients with CAD. CAD patients participate in Suburban Hospital's cardiac rehabilitation program. The exercise portion of the program includes 36 sessions of about 60 minutes each, spaced over approximately 3 months. Patients have a baseline blood test at screening and repeat blood tests at the end of each month of participation in the rehabilitation program. Some of the blood will be used for genetic tests to see how genes of the EPCs are changed by the patient's participation in the rehabilitation program.