29 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
Background: Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome (SLOS) is a genetic disorder. It can cause birth defects and developmental delays. There is no cure for SLOS or other inherited diseases related to cholesterol production or storage. The data gained in this study may help researchers find ways to measure how well future treatments work. Objective: To learn more about SLOS and related disorders and how these diseases affect participants and relatives. Eligibility: People of any age who have or are suspected to have SLOS or another inherited disease related to cholesterol production or storage. Relatives are also needed. Design: Participants will be screened with a medical record review. Participants will have visits every 6 to 12 months. They will have a physical exam. They will fill out a survey about their medical and behavioral history. They may have an eye exam. They may have a neurodevelopmental assessment. They may have a hearing test. Their outer and middle ears may be examined. Their ability to speak, understand speech, eat, and swallow may be assessed. They may get X-rays while they chew and swallow. Their functional ability and needs for adaptive devices or braces may be assessed. They may have a lumbar puncture. Photographs may be taken of their face and body. Participants who cannot visit the NIH and relatives will have a virtual visit once a year. They will talk about their medical history and symptoms. They give blood, urine, and skin samples at a lab near their home. They will fill out a survey about their medical and behavioral history. Participation will last for several years.
The underlying hypothesis is that whole body cholesterol - including cholesterol present in tissues that cannot be measured by standard blood tests - is related to heart disease risk. Endogenous cholesterol will be labeled with an intravenous infusion of one type of cholesterol tracer and dietary cholesterol will be labeled with another. These tracers will be used to measure how fast cholesterol is synthesized and excreted using mass spectrometry to distinguish the tracers. Data will be related to circulating biomarkers (blood tests) and to the thickness of the lining of the carotid artery. The effect of the drug ezetimibe on these processes will also be determined. Successful completion of this study will give us more knowledge about cholesterol metabolism that may be useful in designing new drugs and treatments for patients with heart disease, especially those that are already receiving maximum amounts of current medications.
Phytosterols and ezetimibe each reduce intestinal cholesterol absorption by 30-55% but appear to have different mechanisms of action. The investigators' hypothesis is that phytosterols and ezetimibe given together will block cholesterol absorption in an additive fashion. In a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial the effects of placebo, ezetimibe treatment and ezetimibe plus phytosterol treatment will be measured.
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.
This study will investigate the cause and medical problems associated with a group of genetic disorders known as inborn errors of cholesterol synthesis, in which the body does not produce cholesterol. People with this disorder may have birth defects and learning and behavioral problems. People with an inborn error of cholesterol synthesis and related disorders, including Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, lathosterolosis, desmosterolosis, X-linked dominant chondrodysplasia, CHILD syndrome, Greenberg dysplasia, and some cases of Antley-Bixler syndrome, may be eligible for this study. People who are carriers of the disorders also may enroll. Participants and family members will provide blood and urine samples, as well as other tissue samples collected during medically indicated procedures such as biopsy or surgery. These tissues may include, for example, gallstones, cataracts, cerebrospinal fluid, amniotic fluid, lymph tissue, and DNA samples. In rare instances, a skin biopsy may be requested to aid in establishing a diagnosis. Medical information will also be gathered from medical records, photographs, and X-rays.
Partners HealthCare maintains a Patient Data Registry (PDR) with information from all patient encounters at Partners HealthCare facilities. We intend to utilize the PDR to identify groups of patient who are of high clinical suspicion for undiagnosed lysosomal acid lipase deficiency. A group of potential participants will be identified through the PDR. Detailed records will be requested to further narrow to ideal participants based upon previously existing diagnoses and symptoms. Participants will be invited to partake in the study via a letter from their Partners care provider with supporting study details. Study participants will be evaluated in a one-time visit. A complete family and medical history will be collected. A physical exam will be performed, and up to 20cc of blood will be drawn. All participants will be notified of their disease status via letter and phone call from the study staff. If the study participant is diagnosed with LALD through this evaluation, proper follow-up recommendations and referrals will be provided. Our intent is to determine if existing patient data can successfully be utilized to aid in the identification of patients with rare genetic disease.
This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of sebelipase alfa in a broad population of participants with lysosomal acid lipase deficiency (LAL-D).
The purpose and objective of this study is to improve cholesterol treatment among blood donors with FH (Familial Hypercholesterolemia).
The rationale of this research is that deep phenotyping of individuals at the extremes of cholesterol efflux will identify key determinants of efflux that are potential novel therapeutic targets to prevent or reverse Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD). The investigators propose to carry out the objective by studying participants at extreme low and high cholesterol efflux identified from the investigator's study in the population-based Dallas Heart Study by accomplishing the following aims: 1) determine the heritability of and genomic factors associated with cholesterol efflux by establishing a family pedigree of extreme low and high efflux and sequencing candidate genes involved in HDL metabolism; and 2) identify the protein and lipid signature of extreme low and high cholesterol efflux in a sex- and ethnicity-specific manner using mass spectroscopy and ELISA in FPLC-derived fractions. The investigators expect to identify genetic variants and sex- and ethnicity-specific combinations of proteins and lipids in participants with extreme low and high efflux that may lead to novel ways to modulate efflux. This proposal leverages a well-phenotyped population-based study to characterize the gene-protein-lipid signature of 1) extremes of cholesterol efflux in a sex- and ethnicity-specific manner. Successful completion of these aims will have immediate and direct impact on the use of cholesterol efflux as a clinically relevant biomarker of therapeutic benefit and are necessary for the clinical development of appropriate new targets for manipulation of the key atheroprotective function of cholesterol efflux to reduce ASCVD.
The Physicians Committee is carrying out a research study to improve the investigator's understanding and expand the literature to quantify the effect of foods on blood cholesterol. This study will measure changes in low density lipoprotein (LDL) concentration, sometimes called "bad cholesterol," over 2 study periods of 4 weeks each, with 1 rest week in between. Approximately 50 subjects will participate in this study.
This study will investigate the effects of curcumin on the structure/function of the body by investigating whether targeted improvement of intestinal barrier function by supplementation with oral curcumin will result in attenuation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) translocation and/or intestinal inflammation.
Pycrinil® is a purified extract of the artichoke leaf. Artichoke leaf extract (ALE) has some clinical trial data suggesting benefit in the treatment of cholesterol disorders in several countries, but this effect has not been studied in a U.S. population. The investigators will give ALE or a placebo to overweight men and women with low "good" cholesterol to see if ALE increases their good cholesterol. The investigators will also make sure that ALE is safe.
This is a pilot study to determine the optimum time and dose to draw blood samples using a tracer for HDL kinetics.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of radiolabeled particulate cholesterol administered intravenously in association with albumin, as a method to study reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) in people carrying mutations in genes known to affect high density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism by analyzing changes in the tracer activity in total plasma, lipoproteins fractions and feces.
Background: - Early-onset Parkinson's disease (EOPD) is more likely to be caused by gene mutations than Parkinson's disease that develops in older people. Studying these mutations may help find therapies for EOPD. Researchers want to study mutations on a gene called PARK2. These mutations prevent fat uptake into cells and may interfere with normal brain function. Researchers want to study fat and cholesterol in the body to look at the effects of these mutations on the body and brain. Objectives: - To study connections between genetic mutations and EOPD. Eligibility: * Individuals between 18 and 80 years of age with EOPD. * Individuals between 18 and 80 years of age with no family history of Parkinson s disease. Design: * Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. Blood and urine samples will also be collected. * Participants will have some or all of the following tests: * Blood samples and tissue (skin and fat) biopsies * Cell line development from these tissue samples to study the function of PARK2 * DEXA scan to measure body fat context using low dose x-rays * Glucose and insulin tolerance testing to measure blood sugar levels. * Treatment will not be provided as part of this protocol.
The purpose of this study is to compare changes in cholesterol levels in patients with elevated blood cholesterol with administration of lapaquistat acetate, once daily (QD), and fenofibrate.
This is a prospective, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial comparing the the effects of approximately 7 weeks of placebo treatment to 7 weeks of ezetimibe (10mg/day) treatment on several parameters of reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) in men and post-menopausal women diagnosed with hypercholesterolemia. The primary hypothesis is that the ezetimibe treatment will increase the excretion of endogenous (plasma-derived) cholesterol as fecal sterols, with secondary hypotheses that there will be a significant increase in de novo cholesterol synthesis, treatment will increase cholesterol efflux from tissues into the bloodstream, and increase global RCT.
This study will examine the effect of red yeast rice extract compared to pravastatin on muscle related complaints in individuals with high cholesterol who have previously been unable to tolerate statin medications due to muscle pain. The study will determine whether red yeast is associated with a lower level of muscle related complaints compared to pravastatin.
The postmenopausal state is associated with an increase risk for heart disease. Much of this increase in risk may be due to the loss of estrogen (the main female hormone) and the effect of this loss on lipids (blood fats). This loss of estrogen is often treated by estrogen replacement therapy. Estrogen replacement therapy seems to have a beneficial effect on lipid levels. The purpose of this research study is to understand 1) how menopause affects lipids and 2) how hormone replacement therapy effects the lipid metabolism of postmenopausal women.
Participants wanted for study of mevalonate kinase deficiency (MKD), mevalonic aciduria, or hyperimmunoglobulinemia with periodic fever syndrome (HIDS). Patients with MKD (mevalonic aciduria or hyperimmunoglobulinemia with periodic fever syndrome (HIDS)) may be eligible for a research study conducted at Oregon Health \& Science University (OHSU) in Portland, Oregon USA. The purpose of the study is to find out more about how these diseases affect body chemistry and health. The researchers also want to find out how cholesterol in the diet affect blood cholesterol and how the body handles cholesterol. This is a short-term and long-term dietary study. The long-term goal of this research is to see if controlling dietary cholesterol can decrease any of the symptoms of the diseases. The study could involve up to 12 one-week admissions to OHSU over the course of 5 years.
This study will determine the effects of a supplement in reducing symptoms of metabolic syndrome, a collection of symptoms that increase the risk for developing heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether chromium supplements can reduce symptoms of metabolic syndrome, a collection of symptoms that increase one's risk for developing heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
OBJECTIVES: I. Assess the biosynthesis of cholesterol and cholestanol, and measure the turnover of individual sterols and bile acids in patients with cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis before and after a cholesterol- and cholestanol-free diet. II. Assess the biosynthesis of cholesterol and cholestanol, and measure the turnover of individual sterols and bile acids in these patients before and after lovastatin and chenodeoxycholic acid.
This study will test the safety and effectiveness of 40 mg of ezetimibe (Zetia ) daily in lowering blood levels of cholesterol and of the plant sterols sitosterol and campesterol in patients with homozygous sitosterolemia, an inherited disorder of sterol metabolism. (Sterols are alcohol substances found in animal and plant fats.) In this disorder, an excess of many plant sterols is absorbed and not enough excreted. Patients can develop atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease as early as childhood, as well as other problems including arthritis, arthralgia, and tendon xanthomas (lipid deposits). Current treatment consists of ezetimibe 10 mg, dietary restriction of plant and shellfish sterols, and bile salt binding resins. Ezetimibe is a cholesterol-lowering drug that inhibits intestinal absorption of cholesterol and structurally related plant sterols across the intestinal wall. Patients with homozygous sitosterolemia who are between 18 and 85 years of age have completed NHLBI's 1-year study of ezetimibe at 10 mg a day may be eligible for this study. All participants maintain their current stable diet and take a 10-mg pill of ezetimibe daily for 26 weeks. They are also randomly selected to take either an additional 30-mg pill of ezetimibe or a placebo (look-alike pill with no active ingredients). Patients fast for at least 12 hours before each of 6 visits scheduled during the course of the study. At these visits, patients undergo some or all of the following procedures for monitoring their health and evaluating their response to treatment: * Medical history and review of medications * Physical examination * Measurement of vital signs (pulse rate, blood pressure, breathing rate and temperature) * Review of dietary maintenance * Measurements of height, weight, and waist circumference * Measurement (with ruler) and photographs of non-Achilles xanthoma * X-ray of Achilles tendon * Blood draw and urine collection * Pregnancy test for women of childbearing potential
This study will be a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized, phase 3 study to Evaluate the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of Obicetrapib in Participants with a History of Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia (HeFH).
This a multicenter, Phase 2b, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study to provide data on efficacy and safety of LY3561774 administered subcutaneously at various doses in participants with mixed dyslipidemia and on a stable dose of a statin.
The Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial will evaluate the effects of providing one avocado per day for recommended consumption over a 6 month period in a cohort of approximately 1000 free-living participants with increased waist circumference in comparison with a control group that will maintain their habitual diets. Participants will be recruited and screened at 4 clinics in 4 locations: Pennsylvania State University; Loma Linda University; UCLA, and Tufts University (250 per site).
The purpose of this study is to determine whether introducing almonds into the diet of overweight and obese Blacks and Hispanics improves body composition, decreases liver fat, and lowers cardiovascular disease profile.
The overall objective of the Dietary Protein and Insulin Sensitivity Study is to test the hypothesis that increased protein in a diet with reduced carbohydrate (35% energy) can ameliorate insulin resistance in the absence of weight loss, and that this effect is independent of saturated fat content. Moreover, we will test whether such diets result in beneficial changes in total LDL cholesterol, small, dense LDL, and HDL cholesterol that are also independent of saturated fat intake.