16 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
4. Methods 4a. Overview The study will be conducted in participants in the African-American Study of Kidney Disease (AASK) Cohort study as a randomized three period cross-over trial. Eighty five percent of AASK cohort participants are currently on an ACE inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker; the most commonly used ACE inhibitor is ramipril. The new strategies proposed in this pilot study will remain ramipril-based, to maintain the overall blood pressure control achieved thus far. The antihypertensive regimens proposed are as follows: * AM dosing of ramipril and other once daily medications in the participants antihypertensive regimen (termed USUAL), * Bedtime dosing of ramipril and other once a day medications in the participant's antihypertensive regimen (termed HS-DOSING), and * their current antihypertensive regimen plus an additional antihypertensive agent dosed at bed time; the choice of the additional agent will be tailored based on prespecified clinical guidelines (termed ADD-ON DOSING) The "usual arm" serves as the comparator arm. The "hs dosing" and "add-on dosing" arms test practical strategies that could be tested in a subsequent clinical outcomes trial and that could be implemented in clinical practice. We hypothesize that both arms will reduce nocturnal BP in comparison to "usual dosing". We further hypothesize that the "hs dosing" arm will raise daytime BP somewhat but have no net effect on 24 hour BP and that the "add on dosing" arm will have no effect on daytime BP but lower 24 hour BP. This pilot study will begin after the last scheduled AASK Cohort study visit. Eligible participants will be treated for 6 weeks on each of 3 antihypertensive regimens. The sequence of the regimens will be random. Each period of the three periods will have 2 visits, one visit at 3 weeks and one visit at 6 weeks. In the last week of each 6-week period, a 24-hour ABPM will be obtained. The primary outcome variable is nocturnal BP; each pair wise difference between the regimens will be calculated.
QRX-3, a new drug that stabilized the kidney renal tubular cell and increase the activity of NAD within the kidney cells, is expected to improve baseline renal function when given over a period of one year . The result of the change in renal function will be compared to control without the medication during that same period .
Evaluate effectiveness of Carvedilol CR on Micro T-Wave Alternans in high risk hypertensives
The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of the digibind drug on hemodialysis patients with high blood pressure. Digibind is used to treat toxicity from digoxin and digoxin-like molecules which may contribute to high blood pressure.
A number of blood pressure lowering drugs in the class known as angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) have been shown to slow the decline in kidney function of patients with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease. Losartan (COZAAR), is one such drug. The purpose of this research study is to determine if after one year of treatment telmisartan (MICARDIS, GLIOSARTAN, KINZAL, KINZALMONO, PREDXAL, PRITOR, SAMERTAN, TELMISARTAN) 80 mg, another blood pressure lowering drug from the ARB class, is as effective as losartan (COZAAR) 100 mg in reducing the level of urinary protein (indicative of improved kidney function).
The VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL; NCT01169259) is an ongoing randomized clinical trial in 25,875 US men and women investigating whether taking dietary supplements of vitamin D3 (2000 IU) or omega-3 fatty acids (Omacor (R) fish oil, 1 gram) reduces the risk of developing cancer, heart disease, and stroke in people who do not have a prior history of these illnesses. The VITAL Kidney Function in Hypertension ancillary study will evaluate the effects of vitamin D or omega-3 fatty acids on kidney function among participants with baseline hypertension.
Primary Hypothesis: Aldosterone breakthrough will occur at a far lower frequency during renin inhibition (0-10% over 9 months), alone or in combination with an ARB, compared to conventional ARB therapy (35-45% over 9 months). The investigators hypothesize that aldosterone breakthrough occurs due to accumulation of active precursor substances, most notably angiotensin II, produced in response to conventional RAAS blockade with ACEinhibitors and ARBs. The investigators believe that direct renin inhibition (DRI) should minimize this accumulation and therefore significantly lower or possibly eliminate the breakthrough effect. Interruption of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-Is) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), alone and in combination, has become a leading therapy to slow the progression of chronic heart and kidney disease. Both types of drugs inhibit the formation of aldosterone, a hormone, which has been shown to have harmful effects on patients with chronic heart and kidney disorders. This treatment is effective but not perfect since, even after an initial improvement, many patients become worse over the long term. This may be due to an unexpected increase in aldosterone, a phenomenon called "aldosterone breakthrough." The purpose of this study is to find out whether the use of a direct renin inhibitor (DRI) alone, or in combination with an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), will lessen the occurrence of aldosterone breakthrough since direct renin inhibitors inhibit the formation of aldosterone at a very early step. This study will compare the effectiveness of adding Diovan (valsartan) or Tekturna (aliskiren) or a combination of Diovan and Tekturna to the usual antihypertensive treatment. The investigators will follow blood pressure, aldosterone levels, and urinary protein levels over 9 months to evaluate which of these therapies is most effective for treating hypertension in patients with proteinuric kidney disease.
This study examines the implications of providing hospital-level care in rural homes.
This is a retrospective observational study drawing on data from the Brigham and Women's Home Hospital database. Sociodemographic and clinic data from a training cohort were used to train a machine learning algorithm to predict patient deterioration throughout a patient's admission. This algorithm was then validated in a validation cohort.
This is a retrospective observational study drawing on data from the Brigham and Women's Home Hospital database. Sociodemographic and clinic data from a training cohort were used to train a machine learning algorithm to predict the likelihood of 30-day readmission throughout a patient's admission. This algorithm was then validated in a validation cohort.
This is a retrospective observational study drawing on data from the Brigham and Women's Home Hospital database. Sociodemographic and clinic data from a training cohort were used to train a machine learning algorithm to predict length of stay throughout a patient's admission. This algorithm was then validated in a validation cohort.
This study examines the implications of providing hospital-level care in rural homes.
This study examines the implications of providing remote physician care to home hospitalized patients compared to usual home hospital care with in-person/in-home physician visits.
The investigators propose a home hospital model of care that substitutes for treatment in an acute care hospital. Limited studies of the home hospital model have demonstrated that a sizeable proportion of acute care can be delivered in the home with equal quality and safety, reduced cost, and improved patient experience.
The investigators propose a home hospital model of care that substitutes for treatment in an acute care hospital. Limited studies of the home hospital model have demonstrated that a sizeable proportion of acute care can be delivered in the home with equal quality and safety, reduced cost, and improved patient experience.
This research study is being performed to begin to determine the effectiveness of two dominant bariatric surgery procedures versus an intensive lifestyle intervention to induce weight loss in patients and promote improvements in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in moderately obese patients. T2DM is currently the 6th leading cause of mortality in the United States and is a major cause of kidney failure, blindness, amputations, heart attack, and other vascular and gastro-intestinal dysfunctions. Traditionally, treatments include intensive lifestyle modifications with or without glucose lowering agents. Neither treatment alone, or in combination, results in complete resolution of diabetes and its potential long-term complications. Bariatric surgery has been proven as an effective treatment to accomplish sustained and significant weight loss for those with severe obesity and has been shown to induce long-term remission of T2DM. However, despite enthusiasm for these potential treatment options, it is not clear whether diabetes is influenced by the type of surgery or by the amount of weight lost or if bariatric surgery is more effective than non-surgical weight loss induced by diet and physical activity in T2DM patients with moderate BMIs (30-40kg/m2; Class I and Class II obesity, or approximately 65-95 pounds overweight depending on your height). More well-controlled studies are needed to more completely inform health care decision making and clinical practice in this area. This research study aims to obtain preliminary information regarding the effectiveness of two major types of bariatric surgery, Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding versus an intensive lifestyle intervention to induce weight loss with diet and increased physical activity.