20 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
This study plans to learn more about heart function among individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In particular, the investigators want to understand the different patterns of right ventricular response to pulmonary hypertension (high pressure in the lungs) during rest and exercise. By identifying patterns of right ventricular dysfunction, this study will help identify better treatments for patients with COPD in the future.
Hemodynamic measurements obtained during pulmonary artery catheterization are essential for the diagnosis and classification of pulmonary hypertension. Traditionally, right heart catheterization (RHC) is done in the supine position. Cardiac output is known to change significantly based on position, due to the effects of gravity on venous return. There has not been a systematic investigation into these postural effects on pulmonary arterial pressures nor their effect on the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension. It is our intent to study the differences in measurements obtained during RHC when the patient is supine, seated, and standing.
Background: - Currently, heart catheterization procedures are guided by X-rays. Researchers are developing new techniques to perform heart catheterization without the use of X-rays by investigating possible uses of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. To study these uses, researchers are interested in performing a part of the standard X-ray catheterization procedure using MRI on individuals who are scheduled to have heart catheterization. Objectives: - To examine the safety and feasibility of right-heart catheterization using MRI-guided catheters. Eligibility: - Individuals at least 21 years of age who are undergoing a medically necessary heart catheterization procedure. Design: * The research MRI procedure will be performed either before or after standard X-ray guided heart catheterization. * Participants will be transferred from an X-ray table onto an MRI table and advanced into the scanner. Under MRI guidance, a MRI-compatible catheter will be used to measure blood pressure and blood oxygen levels in the heart, and MRI scanning will be performed for approximately 30 minutes.
The Nanowear SimpleSense study is a single center, prospective, non-randomized, feasibility, non- significant risk study The study will be done in 2 phases. Phase 1 will use SimpleSense data collected from the first set of subjects and associate the data from SimpleSense to the right heart catheterization values.' Phase 2 will evaluate the algorithms developed to estimate cardiac output from SimpleSense data using a second set of subjects from within the sample population that are sequestered from the first set used for association of data from SimpleSense to the data from the right heart catheterization.
This multi-center, observational study evaluates the accuracy of the Cardiac Performance System (CPS), a non-invasive device, for measuring hemodynamic parameters in adult patients undergoing clinically indicated right heart catheterization. The study compares CPS measurements to invasive measurements to assess agreement and potential clinical utility.
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is an abnormal increase of the pressure inside the lung circulation. This condition can be caused by many different diseases. If PH persists for a long period of time, irreversible damage to the lung circulation and to the heart may ensue. A definitive diagnosis of PH requires direct measurement of the pressure within the lung circulation with a procedure called right heart catheterization (RHC). While overall safe, RHC is an invasive procedure and is associated with a small risk of complications (\~1.1%) and, very rarely, death (0.055%), even when performed in experienced laboratories. Therefore, alternative diagnostic approaches are often employed such as an ultrasound technique called Doppler echocardiography which is non-invasive, relatively inexpensive and widely available technique. It is suitable not only as a screening tool but also for serial monitoring of disease progression in PH. However, the accuracy of Doppler echocardiography in measuring pressure in the lung circulation appears to be modest in patients with suspected PH. To improve the performance of Doppler echocardiography it is common practice to inject a small amount of agitated saline or an echocardiographic contrast medium (usually composed of microbubbles of fat containing a minuscule amount of a gas) into a vein. However, the accuracy of using agitated saline or a contrast agent in the measurement of pressures inside the lung circulation has not been established. The proposed study will assess the accuracy of Doppler echocardiographic measurements of pressures in the pulmonary circulation by simultaneously comparing the pressures collected during a RHC. The investigators will enroll 100 consecutive patients undergoing RHC in the Catheterization Laboratory of Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The investigators will measure pulmonary pressures by RHC and by Doppler echocardiography at baseline and following the injection of agitated saline as well as Optison®, an FDA-approved contrast agent commonly used in the echo laboratory. The investigators will then determine the accuracy of the Doppler echocardiography measurement without and with the use of agitated saline or Optison® with the measurements obtained during the RHC which is the gold standard. The results of this study will allow determination whether the use of echo contrast improves the accuracy of Doppler echocardiography and whether contrast-enhanced Doppler measurements are a clinically useful alternative to RHC measurements.
The goal of this single-center, prospective, observational study is to validate a software package based on an artificial intelligence algorithm for automated non-invasive estimation of LVFP against invasively measured ones by left and right heart catheterization; In addition, the added value of this new automated software to detect increased LVEDP \> 15 mm Hg compared to the current ASE/EACVI algorithm for assessing diastolic dysfunction and longitudinal left atrial strain during the reservoir phase will be evaluated.
The study aims to standardize patient positioning during bedside ultrasound assessment of internal jugular vein (IJV) and correlate the results with invasive hemodynamics obtained immediately after. The study hypothesizes that the respiratory variation in the size of IJV, as estimated through ultrasound at bedside, is an accurate estimation of the patient's actual right atrial pressure estimated through right heart catheterization.
This study is a prospective, randomized, double-blind, study of H01 (Hymecromone) in adults with pulmonary hypertension (PH). The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of oral H01 and the potential benefit of oral H01 on clinical measures of PH disease severity over 24 weeks. Study Hypothesis: Oral H01, at doses of 1600 mg per day, will be a safe and well-tolerated agent in adults with pulmonary hypertension over 24 weeks
This is an observational study to evaluate the agreement between the InCardia diagnostic technology CorWatch for the assessment of venous pressure in human subjects. This includes evaluation of InCardia technology in heart failure (HF) patients undergoing invasive right heart catheterization in a cardiac catheterization laboratory (cath lab) and in a cardiac intensive care unit (ICU).
The purpose of this study is to characterize the clinical and hemodynamic response of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) therapy in patients with atypical PAH and risk factors for left heart disease.
This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of inhaled treprostinil in subjects with sarcoidosis-associated interstitial lung disease and pulmonary hypertension.
This study seeks to deploy several forms of 129Xe MRI contrast as well as emerging conventional proton MRI technqiues for imaging lung structure and perfusion. Specifically, the 129Xe MRI scans will provide 3D images of ventilation and gas exchange, and spectroscopic indices will be evaluated to test gas exchange dynamics with high temporal resolution. The conventional 1H MRI scans will include a free-breathing ultra-short echo time (UTE) scan that provides images similar to that of a CT scan. In addition, to characterize perfusion and vascular dimensions directly, patients will undergo a gadolinium-enhanced perfusion scan.
This is an intra-subject crossover comparative safety study to evaluate the effect of intravenous (IV) bolus injection of SonoVue on pulmonary hemodynamics.
This is an Open Label, Multicenter, pilot clinical trial to assess the efficacy and safety of an oral selective Endothelin Receptor Antagonist (ambrisentan) in patients with portopulmonary hypertension. Preliminary evidence suggests that ambrisentan is safe and effective in patients with portopulmonary hypertension. The goal of therapy for these patients is to improve symptoms of dyspnea and to improve pulmonary hemodynamics to a mean pulmonary artery pressure \<35 mm Hg in order to make patients eligible for liver transplantation. Therefore, the primary endpoints for this study will include 6 minute walk distance (6MWD) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). Eligible subjects will receive 5 mg ambrisentan once-daily for the first 4 weeks. After the initial 4-week period, investigators will increase study drug dose to 10 mg once daily (both 5 mg and 10 mg doses are FDA approved). If 10 mg is not tolerated in the opinion of investigator, then the investigator may decrease the dose back to 5 mg once daily. Primary outcome is a change in both the 6 Minute Walk Distance and in Pulmonary Vascular Resistance from baseline to Week 24. Subjects will be monitored with liver function tests (LFT) every 2 weeks for the first 8 weeks, then every 4 weeks thereafter. These safety laboratory tests may be performed at a local phlebotomy laboratory or at the Investigator clinic. In addition, the Investigator will assess each subject for safety and efficacy at Week 4, Week 12, and Week 24. Following Week 24, subjects will be assessed for safety and efficacy every 12 weeks. Patients will be followed for a total of 1 year. After 1 year, if the Investigator feels that continuing the treatment will be beneficial to the patients, they will be provided with ambrisentan by Gilead Pharmaceuticals, free of charge.
The design of this study is to conduct a comprehensive safety evaluation of the pulmonary hemodynamic effects of Optison. The study is being conducted in subjects referred for cardiac catheterization for clinical reasons.
The purpose of this study is to determine the timeline of progression from pre-pulmonary hypertension to diagnosable pulmonary hypertension based on right heart catheterization. Moreover, to determine the timeline for progression from diagnosable pulmonary hypertension to clinical worsening of disease as defined as death, hospitalization, or worsening of PHT symptoms.
This study will assess the safety and efficacy of bosentan therapy (in a study known as ASSET) for patients who have high blood pressure in the lungs associated with sickle cell disease. That form of hypertension places people at risk for complications, including shortness of breath, pain, pneumonia, and death. Previous studies have shown that bosentan can be helpful in reducing pulmonary hypertension. Patients ages 16 and older who have completed the 16-week treatment in the ASSET 1 or ASSET 2 study and who are not pregnant or breastfeeding may be eligible for this study. The research will be conducted in about 25 hospitals in the United States and Europe. Up to 30 participants will be enrolled. The screening visit will involve a physical examination, blood sample of about 3 teaspoons for laboratory tests, and a pregnancy test. Patients' doctors will give them bosentan tablets (62.5 mg each), to take one in the morning and one in the evening. After 1 month, patients will be told whether the dose should be increased to 125 mg tablets to take twice a day. Two weeks after the increase in dose, a blood test will be done to analyze the drug's effects on the liver. After the start of treatment, patients will return for visits every 6 months, when there will be a 6-minute walking test to measure exercise capacity and evaluate shortness of breath. There will be follow-up for patients up to the end of the study and for 28 days after the last dose of bosentan is taken, to collect information about side effects. Some patients on bosentan have had changes in liver function and red blood cell count. Side effects commonly reported are headache, flushed appearance, inflammation of the throat and nasal passages, and gastrointestinal symptoms. If patients have sudden worsening in breathing in the first few weeks after taking bosentan, they should immediately tell their doctors, because it may be necessary to change the treatment.
This study will examine how blood pressure in the lungs is controlled in healthy people, people with HIV and people with HIV and pulmonary artery hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs, also called PAH). PAH sometimes develops in people with HIV, but it is not known why this occurs or how best to treat it. Healthy volunteers and patients with HIV infection who are 18 years of age or older may be eligible for this study. All candidates are screened with a medical history, physical examination, electrocardiogram (EKG), chest x-ray, echocardiogram and blood tests. Participants undergo the following procedures: All participants have a right heart catheterization and forearm blood flow study. * Catheterization study. A catheter (plastic tube) is placed in an arm vein and possibly in an artery in the arm. Then a large catheter is passed through a vein in the groin, neck or chest. Through this "introducer" catheter, another catheter is advanced into the right side of the heart and to the pulmonary artery. A facemask is put in place to measure the amount of nitric oxide produced by the lungs. Acetylcholine is infused through the catheter and its effects on blood pressure in the lungs and on the amount of nitric oxide exhaled is measured. After about 1 hour, the catheter and facemask are removed and a new catheter is inserted through the introducer catheter into the pulmonary artery. The subject is moved into an MRI scanner where blood flow is measured after infusion of three different medications: acetylcholine (causes blood vessels to expand and slows heart rate); sodium nitroprusside (causes blood vessels to expand and increases blood flow to the heart); and L-NMMA (decreases blood flow by blocking production of nitric oxide in cells lining the blood vessels). * Blood flow study. Small tubes are inserted into the artery of the patient's forearm. These are used to infuse medicines and draw blood samples. Forearm blood flow is measured using pressure cuffs placed on the wrist and upper arm, and a strain gauge (a rubber band device) placed around the forearm. When the cuffs are inflated, blood flows into the arm, stretching the strain gauge, and the flow measurement is recorded. A small lamp is positioned over the hand to measure the light reflected from the hand and blood flow in the forearm. Blood samples are then drawn to measure blood counts and proteins and other natural body chemicals. Then, forearm blood flow is measured after administration of small doses of sodium nitroprusside, acetylcholine and L-NMMA. There is a 20- to 30-minute rest period between injections of the different drugs. In addition, HIV-infected patients with PAH undergo the following tests to determine the cause of their PAH: CT scan of the lungs, pulmonary function tests, 6-minute walk test, quality-of-life assessment, assessment of difficulty in breathing, exercise testing while measuring oxygen breathed in and carbon dioxide breathed out, blood tests, monitoring of oxygen saturation during sleep for 1 night and ventilation/perfusion scan. For the ventilation/perfusion scan, the subject breathes in a small amount of radioactive aerosol while images are obtained of the radioactivity as it enters the lungs, and then pictures of the lungs are taken from multiple angles. Next, the patient receives an injection of tiny particles of albumin (a protein) containing a small amount of radioactivity and pictures of the lungs are taken that show the pattern of blood flow to the lungs. Patients with HIV and PAH who may benefit from the investigational drug, sildenafil (commonly known as Viagra), may continue to participate in the next stage of the study. They receive the first dose of sildenafil after completing the forearm blood flow study. They continue the drug for 16 weeks, returning to the clinic 1 week after the first dose and then every other week to monitor the response to treatment and drug side effects. At the end of 16 weeks, patients return to the clinic for a repeat evaluation, including blood tests, 6-minute walk test, echocardiogram, right heart catheterization and forearm blood flow study. ...
Several studies have shown that operator exposure via left transradial catheterization has yielded less operator exposure compared to standard right transradial procedure. However, in light of new data, the investigators hypothesize a hyperadducted right arm during right transradial cardiac catheterization will yield comparable, or the same operator radiation exposure.