Clinical Research Directory

Health eHeart BioBank

The purpose of the Health eHeart BioBank is to collect and store specimen (e.g. blood, DNA, tissue) for future studies at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) that will help determine changes and identify molecular and genetic markers in the human body that might help increase our knowledge of heart disease and guide development of new diagnostic tools and treatments that may help rapidly detect heart disease and prevent and/or treat heart disease.

Real-world Study on Dapagliflozin Usage in Patients With Heart Failure (HF) in Germany

Heart failure (HF) is a global, public health issue that affects more than 63 million people worldwide; this burden is expected to increase substantially as the population ages. Despite advancements in treatment, a HF diagnosis still leads to significant morbidity and mortality; there is also an immense impact on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Dapagliflozin was recently granted approval for heart failure by the European Commission, regardless of ejection fraction and whether the patient has diabetes. Real-world observational data are necessary to describe dapagliflozin use in real-world settings in order to assess treatment patterns, HF symptoms and their impact on physical limitation, HRQoL and work productivity, as well as health care utilization of patients treated with dapagliflozin in this setting under local treatment standard conditions in Germany.

Transition to KPL-387 Monotherapy Dosing & Administration Study

The primary objective of this study is to characterize the efficacy and safety of dosing regimens used to transition from prior pericarditis therapies to KPL-387 monotherapy in participants with well-controlled recurrent pericarditis on standard therapies.

Abbott Structural Heart Device Registry

The Abbott Structural Heart (SH) Registry is being conducted to confirm the safety and performance of Abbott's SH devices in a post-market, real-world setting. The Registry primarily involves gathering data from routine hospital practices and standard-of-care (SOC) procedures administered to patients. All devices used in these procedures must be commercially available to the participating site. A list of specific devices covered by the Registry are available upon request from the Sponsor. Data generated by the Registry will be used to meet regulatory requirements, such as the European Union Medical Device Regulations 2017/745, that require active post-market clinical follow-up (PMCF) for all commercially available devices.

The Protein Disrupted in Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) as a Novel Biomarker for Cardiac Disease

To study the association between DISC1 RNA expression levels and cardiac function in patients with schizophrenia.

A Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial to Investigate the Value of Coronary CT Angiography in the Understanding and Management of Coronary Calcium (The Optimal Trial)

The OPTIMAL randomized clinical trial has been designed to compare two imaging strategies and to test the hypothesis that a calcium modification strategy informed by coronary CT angiography (CCTA) will improve procedural efficiency and effectiveness compared with the current standard of care (IVUS-guided PCI) while achieving similar clinical outcomes in patients with hemodynamically significant calcified coronary artery disease.

University of North Carolina Alumni Heart Study

To continue surveillance of the participants in the University of North Carolina Alumni Heart Study, which tests the hypothesis that hostility and related psychosocial factors are involved in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease.

TRIFORMIS RESILIA Real-world Study Assessing Safety and Performance (TRIBLAZE Study)

TRIBLAZE is a prospective, observational, single-arm, multicenter study designed to collect real-world clinical outcomes in a minimum of 75 participants who will receive the Edwards Lifesciences TRIFORMIS RESILIA surgical tricuspid heart valve, Model 11300T.

Acoramidis Transthyretin Amyloidosis Prevention Trial in the Young (ACT-EARLY) Study in Asymptomatic Carriers of a Pathogenic TTR Variant

Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is a disease where the normally occurring transthyretin (TTR) protein falls apart and forms amyloid, a sticky plaque-like substance that accumulates in different organs in the body and can cause damage to the organ. There are two ways that the TTR protein can fall apart. One way occurs as a person ages, where the normal TTR protein can fall apart and form amyloid that may no longer be sufficiently cleared by the body. This type of ATTR is known as wild-type ATTR (ATTRwt). The other way occurs when a person inherits a defective TTR gene that causes the TTR protein to spontaneously fall apart. This form of the disease is known as variant ATTR (ATTRv) and can be detected in adults by a genetic test of their TTR gene before they age. Amyloid build-up in the heart causes the heart wall to become thick and stiff and can result in heart failure and even death. Accumulation of TTR amyloid in the heart is known as transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy or ATTR-CM. Amyloid can also deposit in the nerve tissues leading to nerve problems. Accumulation of TTR in the nerves is known as transthyretin amyloid polyneuropathy or ATTR-PN. Acoramidis is an experimental drug designed to bind tightly to TTR in the blood and stabilize its structure, so it does not form the harmful amyloid plaques that can cause damage to organs. This study is intended to determine if treatment with acoramidis in participants with ATTRv who have not yet developed any symptoms of disease can prevent or delay the development of ATTR-CM or ATTR-PN disease. If adults with an inherited defective TTR gene are treated early before any of the symptoms of disease have developed, it may be possible to delay the onset or prevent the disease entirely.

Risk Underlying Rural Areas Longitudinal Cohort Study (RURAL) Heart and Lung Study

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) will serve as the site for the RURAL Study Coordinating Center, led by PI Vasan Ramachandran, MD. The primary function of the Study Coordinating Center (SCC) is to serve as an administrative liaison between all of the RURAL study's cores. The SCC schedules, facilitates, and hosts, all RURAL meetings including preparation for Observational Study Monitoring Board (OSMB) meetings, and maintains direct communication with the study's program officers at NHLBI. The SCC monitors the overall progress of RURAL and keeps all RURAL cores abreast of study updates through meetings, emails, newsletters. It also maintains the official RURAL website and serves as an administrator for investigators seeking to collaborate with RURAL through the submission of Ancillary Studies. The SCC will have no direct interaction with any participants, nor will it have access to identifiable data.

Safety and Clinical Performance of the Freesolve Resorbable Magnesium Scaffold (RMS) System in Subjects With Coronary Artery Lesions

The objective of this study is to assess the safety and efficacy of the Freesolve resorbable magnesium scaffold (RMS) in the treatment of subjects with up to two de novo lesions in native coronary arteries compared to the Xience coronary drug-eluting stent (DES) system

Trial to Evaluate Safety And Effectiveness of Mechanical Circulatory Support in Patients With Advancing Heart Failure

The purpose of TEAM-HF IDE clinical trial is to evaluate safety and effectiveness of the HeartMate 3 LVAS compared to guideline directed medical therapy (GDMT) in a population of ambulatory advanced heart failure patients who are not dependent on intravenous inotrope.

Soy Food and Coronary Heart Disease in Women

To investigate whether soy food intake reduces risk of non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) and fatal coronary heart disease in Chinese women.

Effectiveness of CRD-4730 in Participants With Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (CPVT)

This is a Phase 2, multicenter, double-blind, sponsor unblinded, placebo-controlled, single-dose clinical study of CRD-4730 to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamics (PD) of CRD-4730 when administered as single oral doses to participants with Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia (CPVT). The study will have 2 cohorts in which participants with CPVT will participate in a 3-period, randomized 2-sequence study. Each participant will receive 2 different doses of CRD-4730 and 1 dose of matching placebo, with each study drug administered as a single dose.

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.

American Indian Chronic Renal Insufficiency Cohort Study (AI-CRIC Study)

Despite many advances in our understanding of the natural history and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardio vascular disease (CVD) in the parent CRIC study over the past 15 years, important questions about key risk factors for these diseases remain unanswered in the AI population. To address this burden of CKD in AI communities Investigators formed a consortium of investigators with extensive experience in conducting research of chronic diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular and kidney disease in AIs of Southwestern US. The proposed CRIC ancillary cohort study of 500 AIs (AI-CRIC) will rapidly improve our understanding of both potential risk factors for CKD progression, as well as the scope of this disease among AIs. This study leverages the current CRIC study and incorporates the planned activities of the next phase of the study - "CRIC 2018" - by implementing contemporary CRIC protocols for kidney and cardiovascular measurement and outcomes.

HOLT-ED: Holter-monitoring in End-stage Renal Disease

The main objective of this prospective cohort study is to assess arrhythmia burden and glycemic variability in a multicenter cohort of patients with end-stage renal disease using a sufficient observation period in order to identify arrhythmia burden and type and characterize associations with patient characteristics and dialysis treatment, glycemic variability and subsequent risk of adverse outcomes.

Self Expanding Coronary Sinus Reducer for Treatment of Symptomatic Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction (CMD)

VahatiCor's Coronary Sinus Reducer (A-FLUX) has been designed to improve angina or angina-like symptoms in patients with CMD. SERRA-I is an early feasibility study that evaluates the safety and clinical performance of the A-FLUX Reducer in this population.

Changes in Plaque Characteristics After Short-term Statin Therapy as Assessed With Coronary CT

INTENSE Trial is a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, single-center study with two arms (40 mg intensified statin therapy vs matching placebo for rosuvastatin) among statin-naive patients referred to coronary CT angiography due to stable chest pain, followed for 24 months by using a photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT). INTENSE Trial aims 1) to assess the effect of short-term intensified statin therapy on coronary anatomy and physiology using PCD-CT and 2) to determine the impact of short-term, intensified statin therapy on coronary plaque morphology and hemodynamics to identify statin responder and non-responder patients in addition to testing the hypothesis of "plaque memory" after the 24-month follow-up period.

Intraoperative Echocardiography in Low-Risk CABG Surgery

This goal of this study is to better understand when and where intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) should (or should not) be used during coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgeries.

Psychosocial, Environmental, and Chronic Disease Trends in Puerto Rico

The overall goal is to identify trends and longitudinal associations in psychosocial, food-related, and cardiometabolic risk factors that can guide public health priorities and future research needs aimed at reducing cardiovascular-related disparities in Puerto Rico. To this end, investigators will establish 'PROSPECT: Puerto Rico Observational Study of Psychosocial, Environmental, and Chronic disease Trends', an island-wide, longitudinal population cohort of 2,500 adults (30-75 years) in PR recruited with a community-wide sampling strategy, and assessed in a network of several partner clinics across the island. The study will collect comprehensive data on multiple psychosocial, dietary, and food-related factors, CVD biological markers, and medical record data, with follow-up at 2-years, and will assess variations by urban-rural area and by timing before-after Maria.

HEARTBiT: Multi-Marker Blood Test for Acute Cardiac Transplant Rejection

Heart transplantation is a life saving therapy for people with end stage heart failure. Acute rejection, a process where the immune system recognizes the transplanted heart as foreign and mounts a response against it, remains a clinical problem despite improvements in immunosuppressive drugs. Acute rejection occurs in 20-30% of patients within the first 3 months post-transplant, and is currently detected by highly invasive heart tissue biopsies that happen 12-15 times in the first year post-transplant. Replacing the biopsy with a simple blood test is of utmost value to patients and will reduce healthcare costs. The goal of our project is to develop a new blood test to monitor heart transplant rejection. Advances in biotechnology have enabled simultaneous measurement of many molecules (e.g., proteins, nucleic acids) in blood, driving the development of new diagnostics. Our team is a leader in using computational tools to combine information from numerous biological molecules and clinical data to generate "biomarker panels" that are more powerful than existing diagnostic tests. Our sophisticated analytic methods has recently derived HEARTBiT, a promising test of acute rejection comprising 9 RNA biomarkers, from the measurement of 30,000 blood molecules in 150 Canadian heart transplant patients. Our objective is to study a custom-built HEARTBiT test in a setting and on a technology that enable clinical adoption. We will evaluate the new test on 400 new patients from 5 North American transplant centres. We will also track patients' HEARTBiT scores over time to help predict future rejection, and explore use of proteins and micoRNAs to improve HEARTBiT. Our work will provide the basis for a future clinical trial. The significance of this work rests in that it will provide a tool to identify acute cardiac rejection in a fast, accurate, cost-effective and minimally invasive manner, allowing for facile long-term monitoring and therapy tailoring for heart transplant patients.

Ablation of Consecutive Atrial Tachycardia

Ablation of consecutive atrial tachycardia (AT) after ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) or cardiac surgery can be challenging due to complex substrate and AT mechanisms. A substantial portion of patients is known to show various tachycardias and recurrences occur in a noticeable number of cases. With the availability of novel ultra-high-density mapping techniques characterization and understanding of AT mechanisms and underlying substrate can be improved. Aim of this prospective, multi-center, randomized study is to compare a standard AT ablation approach versus minimalized ablation of the clinical AT in regards to arrhythmia free survival.

Sternal Plating High Risk

Participants are being invited to participate in a research study at University Hospitals because they have heart disease and are scheduled for open heart surgery. Currently, UH cardiac surgeons close the sternum (or breastbone) after a sternotomy (procedure that allows a doctor to reach the heart and blood vessels) with either a rigid plate fixation Sternal Plate or a Wire Cerclage. However, the study team would like to further evaluate these two techniques. Any volunteer over the age of 18 who is at an increased risk for developing sternal wound complications may be eligible to participate.