15 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Kawasaki disease (KD) affects infants and young children causing inflammation of the skin and blood vessels including the coronary arteries of the heart. Despite the currently available therapy, about one third of children develop enlargement of the coronary arteries that can lead to serious complications such as coronary artery stenosis, heart attack and even death. Kawasaki disease is the most common heart disease in children in the USA and it is especially common among the children of Hawaii. Every year, 50-90 children are diagnosed with KD in Hawaii and unfortunately there is no medication available to successfully prevent coronary artery damage in a subset of cases. During the first few weeks of the illness, cells of the immune system attack the coronary arteries and release a special substance (MMP) that is responsible for the coronary artery enlargement. There is a common antibiotic, doxycycline that can specifically block the action of this special substance (MMP). Research done on animals with KD showed that doxycycline was able to block this special substance and prevent enlargement of coronary arteries. Research in adults with enlargement of the main artery in their abdomen also showed that doxycycline may improve the outcome. Based on these studies doxycycline may be a promising therapy for children with KD, who develop enlargement of the coronary arteries. The investigators' proposed research study will assess the usefulness of doxycycline in preventing the progressive enlargement of coronary arteries in children with KD. The investigators plan to perform a small (pilot) study to evaluate how good is doxycycline in preventing coronary artery enlargement. The investigators will treat 50 children with KD and enlarged coronary arteries for three weeks with doxycycline and assess the change in coronary arteries as well as the blood levels of the special substance (MMP). If doxycycline proves to be beneficial in this small study, the investigators are going to design a large research study involving multiple institutions on Hawaii and the mainland and will recruit more children to be certain about the value of the proposed treatment. The investigators' proposal may change the treatment protocol of KD and could present a possible treatment for children with enlarged coronary arteries preventing potentially devastating consequences.
The purpose of this prospective study is to compare point-of-care focused cardiac ultrasound (FOCUS) to thoracic computed tomographic angiography (CTA) in the measurement of ascending aortic dimensions. We hypothesize that FOCUS will demonstrate good agreement with CTA in the measurement of ascending aortic dimensions and accurately detect dilation and aneurysmal disease.
The National Registry of Genetically Triggered Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms and Cardiovascular Conditions (GenTAC) was initiated in 2006 by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). GenTAC established a registry of 3706 patients with genetic conditions that may be related to thoracic aortic aneurysms and collected medical data and biologic samples. The study ended in September 2016. Data and samples are available from NHLBI and requests should be made to BioLINCC. See the NHLBI website for more information: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/research/resources/gentac/.
Aggressive intraoperative and postoperative management of blood glucose may substantially decrease perioperative cardiovascular and infectious complications in diabetic and non-diabetic patients undergoing vascular surgery. The purpose of this study is to compare the tight versus traditional blood glucose control in diabetics and non-diabetics undergoing vascular surgery in regard to their postoperative fatal and nonfatal cardiac outcomes, and the secondary effects such as rate of infections, overall morbidity and 30-day mortality.
Collect data to support "standard of care possibility" of extracardiac repair with closure of intracavitary communication and plication of the aneurysm as probably safest surgical repair for left ventricular aneurysms.
The use of TEVAR is increasing rapidly and patients even in younger patients. However, current endografts are several orders of magnitude stiffer than the native aorta. Pre-clinical and clinical studies have reported acute aortic stiffening after TEVAR resulting in hypertension, elevated pulse pressure, cardiac remodeling, reduced coronary perfusion, and finally, heart failure. These effects are markedly profound in young patients, as their hearts and aortas are more compliant. Previous studies on adverse cardiovascular remodeling have important limitations, such as retrospective design, use of echocardiography (with low reproducibility and high operator-dependency), and mixed populations. A systematic assessment of the deleterious effects of TEVAR is still missing. The objective of this study is to perform a prospective, non-randomized controlled, study in which blood pressure, heart rate, ECG, echocardiography, CT, MRI, intra-luminal hemodynamic assessment, computational modeling and biomarkers are used to assess cardiovascular remodeling following TEVAR. This study targets patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) or penetrating aortic ulcers (PAU) treated with TEVAR. A control group will consist of TAA and PAU subjects who do not require endovascular treatment. The specific aims of the study include: 1) Quantification of cardiovascular remodeling following TEVAR in TAA or PAU patients. 2) Validation of computational modeling of thoracic aortic hemodynamics following TEVAR using the above clinical measurements. Once validated, computational analyses will be performed to virtually assess the impact of more compliant endografts on cardiac and aortic hemodynamics. 3) Investigation of diagnostic accuracy of ECG, BNP, NT-pro-BNP and Troponin T, for cardiac remodeling compared to MRI, the reference method. This study will assess the impact of thoracic aortic stent grafts on the cardiovascular system through non-invasive measurements. Although there are no direct benefits for the enrolled subjects, future aortic patients might benefit from better patient management with improved aortic endograft designs and long-term outcomes.
The goal of this project is to establish a biobank of clinical information, DNA, plasma, and aortic tissue samples from patients with cardiovascular disease as well as healthy controls.
Magnetic resonance elastography is a novel non-invasive MRI technique to obtain stiffness of soft tissues such as liver, heart, kidneys, etc. In this imaging technique a person is laid in an MR scanner and a paddle (plastic drum) is put on the area of interest to send sound vibration via a speaker placed outside the scan room which is connecting plastic drum via a plastic tube. These vibrations are scanned using MRI to estimate the stiffness of soft tissues such as liver, heart, kidneys, breast etc.
The purpose of the Registry is to provide continuing evaluation and periodic reporting of safety and effectiveness of Medtronic market-released products. The Registry data is intended to benefit and support interests of patients, hospitals, clinicians, regulatory bodies, payers, and industry by streamlining the clinical surveillance process and facilitating leading edge performance assessment via the least burdensome approach.
This is a prospective, controlled observational trial of patients undergoing clinically indicated cardiothoracic computed tomography (CT), including pulmonary or aortic angiography and coronary CT angiography (CCTA).
The purpose of this study is to compare the radiation exposure of a variety of chest CT examinations performed on the current state of the art CT scanners (64 slice, dual source CT scanner) with the radiation exposure for identical chest CT examinations performed on the Siemens Flash CT scanner (high pitch dual source spiral technique).
Patient Power is a patient research network and database (registry) to collect prospective information about demographics, self-reported diagnoses and medications, and willingness to participate in research from participants with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), spondyloarthritis (SpA), other musculoskeletal conditions, chronic neurological conditions like migraine, chronic pulmonary conditions like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma, autoimmune dermatological conditions such as psoriasis, and other chronic inflammatory or immune-mediated conditions. In addition, since patients with chronic conditions often have other co-morbidities like cardiovascular health and obesity-related metabolic disorders, these conditions will also be included. Participants will provide information from their smartphones or personal computers. The information will be used by researchers and clinicians to help patients and their providers make better, more informed decisions about treatment of chronic conditions.
The main purpose of this study is to define the complex genetic and pathogenic basis of thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) and other forms of aortopathy and/or aortic valve disease by identifying novel disease-causing genes and by identifying important genetic modifiers for aortic and aortic valve disease severity.
This VA QUERI Partnered Evaluation Initiative will evaluate the impact of an immersive Point-of-care Ultrasound (POCUS) Training Course on provider skill acquisition and retention; the frequency of POCUS use by trained providers; and the barriers/facilitators to POCUS in the VHA. Data sources include pre- and post-course assessment tools, medical coding data, and course evaluations. Providers that participate in the POCUS Training Course will be compared to control providers from wait-listed facilities. Additionally, participating facilities vs. wait-listed facilities for the POCUS Training Course will be compared. Findings from this project will guide ongoing efforts of the investigators' operating partners, VA Specialty Care Centers of Innovation (SCCI) and the VA Simulation Learning and Research Network (SimLEARN), to develop a national POCUS training program and facilitate implementation of POCUS use system-wide in the VA healthcare system.
Surgery on the aorta can be associated with significant blood loss. Most commonly this is due to bleeding at the site of aortic anastomosis. Surgical bleeding is associated with significant morbidity. One way to prevent bleeding is to use a special glue (sealant) after performing large connections on the aorta. The goal of this study is to compare the different methods surgeons use to stop/prevent bleeding. The study team will collect medical information about patients before, during, and after surgery on their aortas, including the methods used to prevent bleeding. This information may help doctors improve the way that they care for these patients.