Clinical Research Directory

PACEVALUE: Development of a Risk Score to Predict Pacing-Induced Cardiomyopathy in Patients Undergoing Pacemaker or ICD Implantation and Evaluation of Patient Outcomes and Cost-Effectiveness Across Different Healthcare Systems

The PACEVALUE study is a large, international observational study aiming to improve the treatment of patients receiving cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) such as pacemakers, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices. While these devices are vital for managing heart rhythm disorders and heart failure, chronic right ventricular pacing can sometimes cause a condition called pacing-induced cardiomyopathy (PICM), where the left side of the heart weakens over time, leading to increased hospitalizations and higher mortality. The main goal of the study is to develop and validate a risk prediction model using routine clinical and device data to identify patients at highest risk of PICM before device implantation. By stratifying patients according to this risk score, the study aims to guide personalized pacing strategies, including conduction system pacing (CSP) and CRT options, to improve outcomes and reduce complications. The study will recruit approximately 4,500 patients across multiple centers in Europe and Australia, with planned future inclusion of sites in the UK. Participants will be followed for a minimum of two years, with data collection including heart function imaging, device data, clinical outcomes, patient-reported outcomes (PROMs/PREMs), and healthcare costs. This observational study will also compare clinical practices and cost-effectiveness of different pacing strategies across diverse healthcare systems, aiming to inform evidence-based, patient-centered, and economically efficient device therapy decisions. The findings will lay the groundwork for future registry-based randomized controlled trials to further optimize pacing treatments.

The Leadless AV Versus DDD Pacing Study

Cardiac pacemaker (PM) implantation is the established treatment for relevant bradyarrhythmias. Conventional PMs require 1-3 pacing leads to register the heart's intrinsic activity ("sensing") and to deliver the electrical stimuli to the heart ("pacing"). These leads are responsible for the vast majority of morbidity after implantation and PM failures. Therefore, a leadless PM system (Micra TPS™, Medtronic, United States) has been introduced a few years ago. This system overcomes the limitations of leads, however, the first generation of the Micra TPS™ only allowed sensing and pacing in the right ventricle. More recently, an upgraded version has been introduced and gained market approval (Micra AV, Medtronic, United States). According to published results from several clinical trials, this device allows sensing the atrial activity and, thus, timing the delivery of the ventricular pacing impulse in a physiological manner similar to a conventional dual-chamber PM with two leads. Clinical feasibility and safety for this concept have been established already. However, it is unclear if this translates into a direct clinical benefit for patients in comparison to conventional PM systems. The aim of this trial is to compare the therapeutic efficacy of the Micra AV™ PM and conventional dual-chamber PM systems in patients with intermittent or permanent atrioventricular conduction block and a PM indication according to the latest European guidelines. Thus, patients will be randomized to either a conventional dual-chamber PM implantation or the implantation of a leadless Micra AV™ system. Patients will be stratified for gender (female/male) and a priori estimated physical exercise capacity ("fit"/"unfit"). The primary outcome will be the physical exercise capacity of the patients. The null hypothesis with regards to the primary endpoint is that the leadless pacemaker arm shows an inferior VO2 anaerobic threshold than the conventional pacemaker arm. Hence the alternative hypothesis postulates that the leadless pacemaker arm shows a non-inferior VO2 anaerobic threshold compared to the conventional pacemaker arm. Rejection of the null hypothesis is needed to conclude non-inferiority.

An Observational Post-marketing Study Using Commercially Approved Biosense Webster (BWI) Medical Devices for the Treatment of Participants With Cardiac Arrhythmias

The purpose of this study is to prospectively collect clinical data evaluating the ongoing safety and performance during routine-use standard cardiac arrhythmia mapping and/or ablation procedures while using commercial Biosense Webster Inc. (BWI) medical devices. Data generated from the study will be used to confirm safety and performance of BWI medical devices in the marketed phase and to expand the body of evidence on the use of these devices and techniques in treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.

Validation Study of WITHINGS BPM Core for the Detection of Atrial Fibrillation

The proposed clinical study aims to validate the diagnostic performance, compared to a reference ECG, of the electrocardiographic function of the BPM Core developed by Withings for the automatic identification of atrial fibrillation (AF).

Radiotherapy vs Catheter Ablation for Ventricular Tachycardia in Structural Heart Disease

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to test the efficacy of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) in treating ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with advanced structural heart disease. The main questions it aims to answer are: * What is the efficacy of SBRT compared to catheter ablation (CA) in achieving a ≥ 75% reduction in VT burden at 6 months * What is the comparable safety profile of SBRT vs CA Researchers will compare SBRT and CA (standard of care).

The Dynamics of Human Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an enormous public health problem in the United States, affecting 2-5 million Americans and causing rapid heart beats, stroke, heart failure or death. In this project, the applicant will develop a novel framework to better understand human AF that builds on agreement between several concepts for the disease. The applicant will develop strategies to identify AF patients who will best respond to each of several therapies, to guide personalized therapy.

Clinical and Healthcare Economic OutcoMes From ReAl-worlD Use in Europe of an AI Software During AF Ablation

The goal of this Observational Prospective Multi-center Study is to observe the acute and long-term safety and performance outcomes after spatiotemporal dispersion-based AF/AT ablation utilizing the Volta Medical AI software in "real-life" clinical practice, without any imposed clinical workflow. Moreover, this study will allow to collect medico-economic data related to the tailored ablation strategy guided by the Volta Medical AI software.

Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device (CIED) Research Study

The study is designed to collect data on Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Device (CIED) information, implant procedure details, and/or patient characteristics to support development of future CIED products and procedures.

Cardiac Assessment for Recurrent Stroke Risk Evaluation in Atrial Fibrillation

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, affecting up to 10% of the elderly. Ischemic stroke is the main complication of AF and cardioembolism is one of the leading causes of ischemic stroke, accounting for approximately one third of cases. Oral anticoagulant therapy (OAC) is a cornerstone in stroke prevention in patients with AF. According to randomized controlled trials of direct oral anticoagulants, a residual risk of ischemic stroke of 1-2% per year for so-called "breakthrough stroke" remains, despite adequate intake of OAC. The majority (\>70%) of these breakthrough strokes are cardioembolic in nature and only a minority are related to medication issues (e.g. non-compliance) or other, non-AF related etiologies. Stroke recurrence risk after such a breakthrough stroke markedly increases to 8-9% per year indicating a particularly high-risk situation. Why OAC fails in certain patients, but not in others remains as poorly understood, as does the reason why the subsequent risk of stroke is so high. Current risk stratification tools, such as the widely used CHA2DS2-VA(Sc)-score, fail to predict stroke risk in such a high-risk cohort, as they were intended to guide the initiation of OAC in low to moderate risk patients. In light of new therapeutic strategies currently being investigated, such as percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion in patients with breakthrough strokes (ELAPSE - NCT05976685) or in AF-patients deemed high-risk (LAAOS IV - NCT05963698), improved risk stratification and characterization of high-risk AF patients is highly warranted. Several clinical factors, such as those reflected in the CHA2DS2-VA(Sc)-score, and especially a high AF-burden are associated with increased risk of cardioembolic stroke. Several cardiac serum biomarkers are thought to be surrogates not only of cardiac function, but also of cardioembolic risk. Reflecting ventricular and atrial wall tension, myocardial injury, oxidative stress and thrombogenicity, elevated NT-proBNP, MR-proANP, high-sensitive Troponin T and D-Dimers have all been associated with cardioembolic stroke in different AF and non-AF populations. As the main location of thrombus formation, the left atrium (LA) and more specifically its appendage (LAA) are of particular interest in the pathogenesis of cardioembolism. Pronounced LA-enlargement, compared to a normal-sized LA, correlates with an increased risk of cardioembolism in AF-patients. As over 80% of thrombi form within the LAA, several LAA-characteristics, such as slower LAA-flow velocity and larger LAA-orifice area have also been demonstrated to be associated with higher stroke risk. Although there is data on each one of these factors, they have only been investigated in low to moderate risk populations, such as AF-patients without prior stroke, OAC-naïve patients, or even within the general population as a whole. Their role in high-risk AF-patients and in breakthrough stroke is unknown. Hypothesis The investigators hypothesize that specific clinical factors, serum cardiac biomarkers and markers of LA- and LAA-morphology and function are associated with breakthrough stroke / OAC-failure and may improve risk stratification. Methods CARE-AF is a single-center, prospective cohort study conducted at the Stroke Center of the Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, Switzerland. Patients with an index ischemic stroke and AF (breakthrough and non-breakthrough cases) will be enrolled. The investigators will collect clinical data, serum cardiac biomarkers and echocardiographic indices of the LA and LAA. All patients will receive standardized annual follow-ups until the end of the study, defined as 12 months after the inclusion of the last participant. The primary endpoint is ischemic stroke or systemic embolism during follow-up. First, in a cross-sectional design, the study will assess the association between serum cardiac biomarkers and echocardiographic indices among patients with breakthrough vs. non-breakthrough stroke as index event, applying multivariate regression models. Second, the investigators will perform a longitudinal analysis assessing the association between the variables mentioned above and breakthrough stroke as index event with the primary endpoint, using multivariate Cox regression models. The study aims to enroll a minimum of 500 patients, which provides sufficient power to detect a clinically meaningful adjusted hazard ratio for recurrent stroke of 1.5 with 80% power at an alpha level of 5%. Conclusion The results of this project will enhance understanding of the role of specific clinical factors, cardiac serum biomarkers and echocardiographic indices in the residual risk of stroke in patients with AF on anticoagulation therapy. They may improve current risk stratification and have the potential to help guide therapeutic decisions in high-risk situations considering evolving therapeutic possibilities.

Machine Learning in Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is a serious public health issue that affects over 5 million Americans (Miyazaka, Circulation 2006) in whom it may cause skipped beats, dizziness, stroke and even death. Therapy for AF is currently suboptimal, in part because AF represents several disease states of which few have been delineated or used to successfully guide management. This study seeks to clarify this delineation of AF types using machine learning (ML).

Autoimmune Basis for Postural Tachycardia Syndrome

The purpose of this study is to see if some people with postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) have higher levels of immune proteins (autoantibodies) directed against receptors of the autonomic nervous system, and if these autoantibodies make a difference in their POTS symptoms. The investigators also want to see if the levels of these autoantibodies stay the same over time.

AI Powered Mapping Technology for Identifying Arrhythmias

Exploratory, hypothesis-generating study evaluating the impact of vMap on procedural efficiency, acute success, and work flow optimization.

Insertable Cardiac Monitor-Guided Early Intervention to Reduce Atrial Fibrillation Burden Following Catheter Ablation

To prospectively investigate the efficacy of an insertable cardiac monitor-guided atrial fibrillation (AF) management in reducing subsequent AF burden in patients with persistent or paroxysmal AF undergoing atrial catheter ablation (CA).

Exercise Activity Intervention With Sensor-Based Engagement in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) affects 1 in 4 individuals during their lifetime and continues to increase in frequency and impact. Exercise intervention has established benefits to improve AF symptoms and burden in clinical studies. However, lack of access to exercise programs has limited therapeutic adoption. The growth of technology-driven health care and diagnostics, recognized as an emerging priority by the American Heart Association, offers an opportunity for a pragmatic and patient-centered approach to meet this need. EASE-AF is a prospective, interventional study with a sequential run-in control to evaluate if a digital health-driven, patient-centered exercise intervention improves AF symptoms and burden. The research team will enroll 120 patients with symptomatic, paroxysmal AF. The main impact of this study will be the establishment of evidence for a novel, pragmatic paradigm for a patient-centered, digital technology-driven personalized exercise intervention for patients with AF.

Testing VIRTUES Patient Care Sets in Cardiac Patients (VIRTUES Cardiac Care)

Patients with various cardiac conditions (such as those who experience a heart attack) are increasing in Canada and are in need of appropriate cardiac rehabilitation and care. Many patients do not have access to local in-person cardiac clinics, particularly in rural regions of Canada. A user-friendly digital application with accessible educational resources and recommendations based on the most up to date clinical practice guidelines can help mitigate these issues. VIRTUES is a digital healthcare application that targets 11 modifiable modules as follows: 1. antithrombotic management 2. lipid management 3. rate and rhythm control for atrial fibrillation 4. heart failure care 5. post myocardial infarction care 6. blood sugar management 7. blood pressure management 8. physical activity 9. healthy eating 10. smoking cessation 11. alcohol reduction Of the 11 total modules, the first 7 listed provide recommendations in VIRTUES. The remaining 4 (physical activity, healthy eating, smoking cessation and alcohol reduction) consist of simple referrals to existing recommendations (i.e., for healthy eating and physical exercise) and referrals to existing local programs (i.e., for smoking cessation and alcohol reduction). Thus, in this cohort study, the investigators will test the primary 7 modules with 200 patients per module for approximately one month each in order to obtain feedback on the usability of each module. The investigators will also conduct virtual focus group discussions to obtain open ended feedback on the application. This study will provide valuable feedback, which will be used to improve and adapt the VIRTUES platform.

Biospecimen Repository for Cardiac Arrhythmias at the Cleveland Clinic

Biorepository of blood and or tissue samples from patients presenting with cardiac arrhythmia syndromes.

Future Cardia™ Insertable Cardiac Monitor in Subjects With Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation (First-in-Human Study)

This study is a first-in-human, prospective, multi-center, pre-market single-arm clinical trial to evaluate the Future Cardia™ ICM.

Assessment of Combined CCM and ICD Device in HFrEF

The goal of this clinical trial is to demonstrate that the OPTIMIZER® Integra CCM-D System (the "CCM-D System") can safely and effective convert induced ventricular fibrillation (VF) and spontaneous ventricular tachycardia and/or ventricular fibrillation (VT/VF) episodes in subjects with Stage C or D heart failure who remain symptomatic despite being on guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT), are not indicated for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), and have heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF ≤40%). Eligible subjects will be implanted with the CCM-D System. A subset of subjects will be induced into ventricular fibrillation "on the table" in the implant procedure room. During the follow-up period, inappropriate shock rate and device-related complications will be evaluated. The follow-up period is expected to last at least two years.

Acute Kidney Injury Genomics and Biomarkers in TAVR Study

In the last decade, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become an increasingly utilized alternative procedure for replacing a stenotic aortic valve. This study collects clinical information, DNA, blood and urine samples (throughout procedural hospitalization) in order to investigate the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing TAVR and to identify key clinical and procedural predictors of AKI. This study seeks to identify blood and urine biomarkers that can be used for early detection of AKI around the time of the procedure. The study seeks to assess for novel genetic variants associated with development of AKI after TAVR. Finally the study seeks to assess for novel genetic variants and biomarkers that are associated with adverse cardiovascular events after TAVR and to further explore how these events may inter-relate with acute kidney injury.

Chronical Illness-related Limitations of the Ability to Cope With Rising Temperatures, Third Wave

The CLIMATE-III Observational Study examines to what extent chronically ill patients experience adverse health effects because of heat and whether the patients' specific health behavior, somatosensory amplification, risk and benefit perception, self-efficacy, health literacy, and the degree of urbanisation of the patients' administration district are associated with these effects. Study participants from Germany and Italy will be included in the sample.

Wearable Cardiac Monitor to Enhance Detection of Arrhythmia Recurrence After Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation

The WEAR-AF study is a prospective, multicenter clinical trial designed to evaluate the efficacy of wearable technology in the detection, monitoring, and management of atrial fibrillation (AF). This study aims to assess how wearable devices, such as smartwatches equipped with electrocardiogram (ECG) capabilities, can be used to identify AF episodes, guide treatment decisions, and ultimately improve patient outcomes. Participants will be individuals diagnosed with or at high risk for atrial fibrillation. The study will track the accuracy of AF detection, patient adherence to monitoring, and the impact on clinical outcomes, including stroke prevention, symptom management, and quality of life. The findings from WEAR-AF are expected to contribute to the growing body of evidence supporting the integration of wearable technology into routine clinical practice for AF management, offering insights into its potential to enhance patient care and reduce healthcare costs.

The MAGiC™ Cardiac Ablation European Study

The purpose of the first phase of this feasibility study is to gather safety and performance data on MAGiC to support European marketing approval.

Ablation Guided Via Precision Imaging Using Electromechanical Wave Imaging

Atrial and ventricular cardiac arrhythmias are serious public health problems in the United States, affecting over 5% of Americans and are major causes of stroke and heart failure leading to increased morbidity and mortality. This proposed clinical trial will determine how electromechanical wave imaging (EWI), a non-invasive ultrasound precision imaging modality, can effectively diagnose and determine the mechanism of the arrhythmia and impact personalized treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. Participants who are already scheduled for electrophysiology study will receive EWI prior to their study. Half of participants will randomly have their EWI imaging data available for their electrophysiologist to analyze and potentially affect procedure planning and execution. Across all participants the results of EWI and the electrophysiology study will be compared to determine EWI accuracy at diagnosing arrhythmias. Participants whose electrophysiologists had access to EWI data will be compared against those without access to determine if EWI data led to improved procedure efficiency and outcomes.

RESOLVE-AF: Clinical Evaluation of the Ablacath™ Mapping Catheter and Ablamap® System Utilizing Electrographic Flow (EGF) Mapping to Resolve Extra-PV Sources of Atrial Fibrillation and Guide Ablation Therapy.

Demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of the Ablacath™ Mapping Catheter and Ablamap® System in patients with all types of atrial fibrillation (AF) including paroxysmal or persistent or long-standing persistent, undergoing and De Novo or Redo procedures. Phenotype patients and demonstrate the prognostication power of Electrographic Flow (EGF®) maps among all subjects using 12-month follow-up outcomes following EGF-guided mapping and ablation.