Clinical Research Directory

Myocardial Perfusion Changes Following Optimal Medical Treatment in Symptomatic Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Background: Microvascular dysfunction is a hallmark of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) and can be visualized non-invasively using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) perfusion imaging. In parallel, the six-minute walk test (6MWT) is an established clinical tool to assess submaximal exercise capacity in patients with structural heart disease. Despite its widespread use, the relationship between objective changes in myocardial perfusion and functional improvements assessed by the 6MWT remains insufficiently explored in patients with HOCM on optimal medical therapy (OMT). Aim:This study aims to evaluate whether changes in functional capacity, measured by the 6MWT, correlate with changes in myocardial perfusion reserve (MPR) in HOCM patients treated with OMT. Methods: We will include patients diagnosed with obstructive HCM who previously underwent clinically indicated CMR perfusion scans for risk stratification. These patients are regularly followed in the HCM outpatient clinic of the Medical University of Vienna, where standardized 6MWTs are performed in routine care. Approximately one year after the baseline CMR, a follow-up CMR will be conducted to assess changes in perfusion parameters. This second CMR is clinically justified for improved individual risk stratification as recommended by the 2023 ESC Guidelines on Cardiomyopathies. The primary objective is to assess the correlation between the change in the walking distance in the 6MWT and the change in MPR over a one-year interval. Secondary endpoints include changes in myocardial blood flow (MBF) at rest and during pharmacological stress. All assessments will be integrated with clinical, echocardiographic, and laboratory evaluations.

Positron Emission Tomography to Assess the Effect of Camzyos on Ischaemia in HOCM: PEACH Trial

Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is a heritable heart condition that leads to the thickening of the heart muscle and causes obstruction of blood flow, impeding it's ejection from the heart (LVOT obstruction). Often individuals with HOCM suffer from chest pain and shortness of breath due to lack of oxygen supply (ischaemia) to the heart muscle in the absence of blockages in the coronary arteries. Despite proven advances in treatment of LVOT obstruction with the novel medication Camzyos (Mavacamten), there is a limited understanding of its effect on myocardial ischaemia. This study, called the PEACH Trial, is designed to assess whether Camzyos also improves blood supply (perfusion) to the heart muscle in patients with HOCM. A specialised imaging technique called Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET-CT), using Rubidium-82 will be used to evaluate blood flow to the heart muscle before and after treatment. Camzyos is part of participants' regular clinical treatment and is not being supplied, administered, or influenced by the study in any way. Participants with HOCM who are starting treatment with Camzyos as part of their clinical care will undergo a baseline PET-CT scan (if not already done), and a second scan after 12 months. The follow-up scan is done solely for research purposes. The scans will allow researchers to evaluate whether the medication improves myocardial perfusion in addition to relieving outflow obstruction. The study is sponsored by the University of Manchester and funded by Bristol Myers Squibb. It will involve up to 75 participants recruited at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. The findings could help improve understanding of how Camzyos works and support personalised treatment approaches in HOCM.