Active clinical trials for "Peripheral Vascular Diseases"

The DEFINITIVE AR study is a prospective, multi-center, randomized pilot study evaluating the use of either the TurboHawk™ or SilverHawk® plaque excision systems followed by treatment with the Cotavance™ drug-eluting balloon catheter versus the Cotavance balloon catheter alone in patients with peripheral arterial disease.

Over the past years, endovascular interventions have become an important part of treatment in patients with peripheral arterial disease.1 Indication for endovascular repair of femoropopliteal lesions has been considerably enlarged as shown in the TASC classification.1 Enlargement of endovascular therapy indication was based on patient choice for a less invasive technique and evidence based medicine. Consequently, TASC classification of lesions has been modified to reflect increased evidence for endovascular treatment of more extensive femoropopliteal lesions, and indication for endovascular repair has been enlarged to more severe TASC types. In summary, endovascular treatment is indicated for TASC A and B lesions which correspond to femoropopliteal lesions ≤15-cm. To treat these lesions, the interventionalists have at their disposal a huge tool box. Evaluation of these tools is crucial to determine the right treatment strategy to avoid further reinterventions and overcosts. The objective of the BATTLE trial is to compare a bare metal self expandable nitinol stent (Misago RX) versus a paclitaxel eluting stent (Zilver PTX) in the treatment of above-the-knee intermediate length femoropopliteal lesions. From hospitals in Europe (France, Switzerland) we will randomly assign patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic femoropopliteal lesions to be treated either by bare metal stent or paclitaxel eluting stent. In total, 186 patients will be randomized (93 per group).

This study investigates the efficacy and safety of the AbsorbaSeal 6Fr Vascular Closure device (VCD) for the closure of access site of patients requiring percutaneous diagnostic or interventional procedures. An expected total of 50 patients will be enrolled in this study. A total of 12 patients (4 patients per site) will be treated as roll-in phase, prior to enrollment of the first patient. The primary objective of this study is to assess the safety and effectiveness of the AbsorbaSeal 6Fr VCD. Enrollment into this study will include anatomically eligible patients requiring diagnostic and interventional procedures. Following physician training, patients will be enrolled. Efficacy and safety analyses will be based on these patients.Patients will be followed procedurally to discharge, at one month, (follow-up commitment). Secondary objectives are to further characterize adverse events (serious and non-serious), clinical utility measures and health-related quality of life.

The investigators propose to pilot test a six-week yoga program among adults with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Participants (n=50) will be randomized to a six-week yoga intervention (n=25) or wait-list control (n=25). The yoga intervention will include a weekly yoga class currently used among cardiac rehab patients at the University of Michigan Health System, together with home-based practice sessions. Participants will perform treadmill testing at baseline and 6 weeks to assess walking capacity. The primary outcomes of interest include 1) acceptability of the program by participants, 2) feasibility of recruitment, 3) change in maximal walking distance, 4) change in claudication symptoms, and 5) change in health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The investigators expect this will inform us on the acceptability and feasibility of a larger proposal examining yoga in PAD patients. These data will also inform on the effect size in maximal walking, and HRQOL, which will be used to estimate the sample size needed for a larger R01 level proposal. Study hypotheses: Hypothesis 1: Participants will find the yoga program acceptable with low drop-out rates (<15%), excellent attendance (>80% classes attended), and good completion of the home-based practice sessions (self-report >80% completed). Hypothesis 2: The yoga intervention will be feasible for a larger study based on numbers of potential participants approached, and those who consent to participate vs. those who do not. Hypothesis 3: Increases in maximal walking distance and pain-free walking distance (from baseline to 6 weeks) will be greater in the participants randomized to the yoga intervention compared to the control group. Hypothesis 4: Self-reported claudication symptoms will be reduced to a greater degree (at 6 weeks) among participants randomized to the yoga intervention compared to the control group. Hypothesis 5: Increases in HRQOL (from baseline to 6 weeks) will be greater in the participants randomized to the yoga intervention compared to the control group.

Atherosclerosis is a disorder in the body that is characterized by cholesterol plaque formation in various arteries, causing narrowing of the artery and a limitation in blood flow. Depending on which artery the plaque is in, different clinical conditions occur. In adults common areas include in the heart arteries, in the neck arteries and in the aorta and lower leg arteries. When it affects the lower limbs it is known as peripheral arterial disease - PAD. The main symptom of PAD is called "claudication" and is described as pain or discomfort in the legs when walking. The aim of PAD treatment is to improve walking distance and quality of life in those with intermittent claudication, and to decrease long term complications including illness and death. An important controlling factor of these cholesterol plaques is a type of cholesterol called HDL (High density lipoprotein). This study aims to look at the effect that raising HDL for a prolonged period has on blood markers of inflammation and on the cholesterol plaque composition in patients with PAD. This investigation will also have relevance to the effects of HDL elevation on plaque composition and inflammation in other areas of the body including the heart, neck and brain arteries. Twenty (20) PAD patients with will be recruited into the study. The investigators anticipate recruitment of all 20 patients within 12 months. The 20 PAD patients all must have significant leg pains when walking, and after review by a doctor, be determined to have narrowings in the leg artery that they will plan to operate on. Patients will be randomized to either niacin (Tredaptive, 1g/day) or matching placebo for 8 weeks (prior to operation) After the 8 week period they will then go on to receive the normal interventional treatment as planned. Blood samples will be taken at enrollment and at the 8 week mark prior to surgery. The plaque that is removed at the time of operation will also be sent to the lab for analysis. The investigators hope to show with this study that by raising the levels of HDL with extended release niacin, there are positive effects on the amount of cholesterol in the plaque, and on the markers in the blood of inflammation and thrombosis. The hypothesis is that elevation of HDL with Niacin will have anti-atherosclerotic actions including: Lower plaque lipid content, Reduced plaque macrophage infiltration, Reduced monocyte activation, Reduced neutrophil adhesion, Inhibition of inflammation and Inhibition of thrombotic markers.

Diagnosis of vascular involvement in diabetic foot disease remains challenging. Differential diagnosis between pure neuropathic or neuro-ischemic diabetic foot requires a combination of clinical examination, medical history and ankle-brachial index (ABI) measurement, which is considered the "gold standard" non-invasive modality for limb ischemia diagnosis. However, in diabetic patients with suspected arterial ischemia resulting in tissue loss (critical limb ischemia; CLI), false negative ABI results are frequent due to Monckeberg medial sclerosis producing incompressible vessels, while clinical signs are subjective and not accurate in posing definite diagnosis of CLI. The investigators conducted a proof of concept study of the feasibility of microwave radiometry thermometry for non-invasive diagnosis of CLI in diabetic patients with tissue loss.

The primary objective of the study is to determine the role of transdermal vasodilators as an adjunct to parenteral vasodilators in reducing radial artery spasm, improving patient comfort, and post procedure radial artery patency during transradial coronary angiograms and interventions. The study hypothesis is that transdermal vasodilators will increase radial artery size and reduce radial artery spasm as well as improve patient comfort and post procedure radial artery patency. This is a single-center, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study comparing the effect of transdermal preparations of lidocaine + nitroglycerine and lidocaine + placebo on radial artery spasm in patients undergoing transdermal coronary angiograms. Prior to the procedure, each patient will be randomized into either the control arm, lidocaine + placebo, or study arm, lidocaine + nitroglycerine.

This study is designed to evaluate the use of real-time ultrasound-guided femoral venipuncture during pulmonary vein isolation for treating atrial fibrillation .

The overarching objective of this study is to improve fall prevention efforts in community-dwelling older adults with peripheral artery disease (PAD) to reduce falls. To accomplish this, the investigators will conduct a feasibility study and pilot the addition of a balance exercise component to existing supervised exercise therapy (SET) programs for PAD. This intervention may be an effective way to help older adults with PAD self-manage their leg pain and walking impairments as well as fall risk. The long-term goal of this research is to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with falls in older adults with symptomatic PAD through the development and evaluation of a balance intervention component implemented within existing exercise programs. Findings from this research may also be translated to the implementation of disease management programs for other chronic conditions associated with fall risk. The rationale for this research is to determine improve disease-specific, comprehensive and fall prevention strategies for older adults with PAD.

More than 2 million patients in North America are treated with warfarin - a "blood thinner" - to prevent blood clots in arteries or veins. The treatment has to be monitored with a blood test and the dose changed accordingly every 1-4 weeks. One third of the patients have very stable results and hardly ever have to change the dose. The investigators wish to show that the level of control of the treatment with warfarin in these very stable patients is not worse with 12-weekly testing. A pilot study the investigators performed indicated that 12-weekly testing would be safe but this has to be confirmed in a large study. One third of patients taking warfarin have not had any changes in the dose for the past 6 months or longer. These patients will be asked about participation in the study. They will be randomized to testing and dosing every 4 or 12 weeks. Each patient is in the study until it ends, which will be minimum 1 year and can be up to about 4 years. The study is designed to show that 12-weekly testing does not significantly increase the risk for major bleeding or blood clots. The results would be important for a large number of patients. An increase of the interval between blood tests from 4 to 12 weeks would reduce the burden for these patients on life-long treatment considerably.