Clinical Research Directory

TOP-CABG Trial: Follow-up Extension (TOP-CABG FE)

To further evaluate the long-term effects of the two antiplatelet strategies on saphenous vein graft patency, long-term adverse cardiovascular events, and bleeding events after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), we plan to conduct an extended follow-up study based on the previously completed TOP-CABG trial. This extended follow-up aims to provide high-quality evidence to inform more optimized and individualized long-term antiplatelet management strategies for patients after CABG.

Speed-up the Diagnosis and Evaluation of anoMalous Coronary ARTery From the Aorta

Anomalous aortic origin of the coronary arteries (AAOCA) is a rare congenital disease and one of the leading causes of sudden cardiac deaths (SCD) in young athletes but also has a lethal presentation in adult age with myocardial infarction, even if not related to obstructive coronary arteries. Unfortunately, diagnostic imaging techniques, invasive assessment, and provocative stress tests have shown low sensitivity and specificity in detecting inducible ischemia, and a multimodality assessment is then necessary. Innovative tools have been developed in the medical field using computer-based simulation, 3-dimensional reconstruction, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI). With the application of such new technologies, we aim to fill the gap of knowledge and the diagnostic limitation regarding risk stratification for most subjects with AAOCA. This work seeks to enhance, fasten, and personalize the clinical diagnosis of AAOCA by integrating anatomical measurements, clinical data, and biomechanical patient-specific features. The SMART study will set a system to automatically segment and classify coronary arteries with AAOCA from computerized tomography angiography (CTA) by artificial intelligence (AI). Segmentation will feed a 3D model of the aortic root and coronary artery for biomechanical assessment through finite element analysis (FEA). This will allow us to assess the location of possible coronary artery compression under an effort condition. These in-silico results, the anatomical features measured by AI, and the clinical data will be integrated into a risk model to estimate the hazard risk of adverse events such as SCD or myocardial infarction. This workflow will be framed in an IT system to allow a web-based remote diagnostic service. Thanks to the proposed multidisciplinary approach, SMART aims to overcome the current diagnostic limitations related to the reduced ability of functional stress tests to detect ischemia. Potentially helping in patient-specific risk stratification, SMART is also thought to provide a way to get a first diagnostic indication about AAOCA being accessible from any hospital, fostering the diffusion of peripheral territorial support to the diagnosis and treatment of such rare disease.

Improving the Accuracy of Referrals of Patients With Chest Pain

This is a multicenter, prospective, investigator-initiated, randomized controlled trial aiming to reduce the percentage of non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) patients admitted to the cardiac emergency department (ED) by performing the modified HEART score by emergency medical transport (EMT) personnel.

Does OCT Optimise Results of Stenting on the Left Main Stem

The DOCTORS-LM study will investigate the impact of using optical coherence tomography (OCT) to guide the procedure in angioplasty of lesions of the left main stem responsible for myocardial ischemia.

Time for a Diagnostic Paradigm Shift From STEMI/NSTEMI to OMI/NOMI

The investigators hypothesize that occlusion myocardial infarction(MI)/non-occlusion MI approach to MI treatment will better predict acute coronary occlusion on coronary angiography, better limit infarct size, better preserve left ventricular function and result in lower long-term adverse cardiac events (all cause mortality, all cause rehospitalization) compared to standard ST-elevation/non-ST-elevation MI paradigm.

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.

Spectroscopic Assessment of Myocardial Oxygenation Changes in Pediatric Heart Surgery

The goal of this observational study is to investigate the ability of the SpectroCor Tissue Oxygenation Monitor and its accessory SpectroCor Sensor to observe and monitor changes in cardiac oxygen availability in pediatric patients during open-heart surgery. Patients of less than 18 years old who, and whose guardian(s), when applicable according to national legislation, have signed the informed consent, can participate in the study. The primary hypothesis is that the SpectroCor Tissue Oxygenation Monitor and its accessory SpectroCor Sensor can detect myocardial oxygen availability in pediatric open-heart surgery patients. It is expected that the detected tissue oxygenation timely correlates with procedures affecting myocardial perfusion and other clinical parameters during the operation. The secondary hypothesis is that the SpectroCor Tissue Oxygenation Monitor and its accessory, the SpectroCor Sensor, are safe to use, and their usability is acceptable. No comparison group is included in the study. The devices are used by the study investigators during open-heart surgery to collect myocardial tissue spectrometer data from the pediatric population to validate and potentially further develop the monitor and its accessory, the sterile sensor. The follow-up period for each participant ends with discharge from the hospital. No data (such as questionnaires) are obtained directly from the study participants.

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.

4-electrode ECG (DigitalCardio®) vs Standard 10-electrode ECG: Evaluating Ease of Use and Recording Quality

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the time required to record a complete Electrocardiogram (ECG) trace using the DigitalCardio (CardioSecur®) tablet device versus a standard 12-lead ECG device in eligible patients. The main questions it aims to answer are: Is there a difference in diagnostic recording time (in minutes) between the DigitalCardio tablet and a standard ECG machine? How do the two devices compare in terms of trace quality (including QRS duration, QT interval, frontal axis measurements, and missing/erroneous leads)? How satisfied are healthcare professionals with the CardioSecur® device? Researchers will compare Group A (standard 10-electrode ECG followed by 4-electrode ECG) to Group B (4-electrode ECG followed by standard 10-electrode ECG) in a 1:1 randomized crossover design to evaluate recording efficiency and trace quality. Participants will: Complete an initial screening visit with the principal investigator to review eligibility criteria and sign the informed consent form. Be randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) to either Group A or Group B. Undergo both ECG recording methods sequentially (a standard 10-electrode ECG and a 4-electrode ECG using the DigitalCardio tablet), while researchers measure the total time elapsed from electrode placement to obtaining a complete trace.

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

Cor360: Clinician-Facing Broad-Spectrum Cardiac Phenotyping and Risk Assessment Using COR® Wearable ECG to Inform Outcomes-Oriented Care Pathways

Cor360 is an observational study evaluating whether extended wearable electrocardiogram (ECG) data can support broad-spectrum cardiac phenotyping and risk assessment beyond conventional single-purpose ambulatory rhythm monitoring. The study evaluates a clinician-facing, AI-enabled decision-support system that analyzes data from the Cor XT and Cor MDx wearable ECG devices and organizes patient-specific findings into an integrated Cor360 report for review by qualified clinicians. Rather than focusing only on detection of arrhythmias, Cor360 evaluates multiple dimensions of cardiovascular physiology and disease simultaneously. The active Cor360 indication panel may include more than 150 reportable findings or sub-findings organized across six clinically oriented pathways: Structural, Functional, Conductance, Hemodynamic, Neurohormonal/Autonomic, and Atrial Fibrillation/Ventricular Arrhythmia/Sudden Cardiac Death. Depending on the ECG data available for an individual participant, Cor360 may characterize findings and risk markers related to left ventricular hypertrophy and atrial enlargement; heart-failure phenotype and ejection-fraction-related abnormalities; conduction delay and heart block; repolarization and ischemia-related abnormalities; atrial fibrillation and atrial substrate; ventricular ectopy, nonsustained ventricular tachycardia and electrical-instability markers; syncope mechanisms; and selected ECG-derived hemodynamic and structural/functional surrogates. The platform may also evaluate autonomic regulation and heart-rate variability, cardiopulmonary coupling, sleep-disordered breathing and obstructive sleep apnea screening indicators, electrolyte-related ECG abnormalities, and other clinically relevant physiologic patterns. Cor360 is designed to move from isolated ECG findings toward multidimensional cardiac phenotyping and multi-pathway risk assessment. Individual findings may be combined into clinically meaningful phenotypes and risk profiles, such as atrial-fibrillation-prone substrate, heart-failure-related autonomic or repolarization profiles, ventricular electrical-instability patterns, ischemia-related risk signals, or sleep-disordered-breathing-related cardiovascular burden. Where repeated ECG studies are available, Cor360 may also assess changes in cardiac phenotype, physiologic state, and risk trajectory over time. Reports are individualized rather than identical across participants. Only indications supported by the participant's available data, signal quality, monitoring duration, and applicable analysis criteria are presented. Longer-duration recordings may support deeper assessment of autonomic function, sleep-related physiology, intermittent abnormalities, and longitudinal risk patterns. Cor360 also evaluates whether an extended wearable ECG record can support cross-domain clinical synthesis rather than requiring each physiologic signal to be interpreted in isolation. When appropriate, reports may link detected phenotypes and risk markers to guideline-informed care-pathway considerations while identifying uncertainty, data-quality limitations, and findings that are not reportable because monitoring-duration or signal criteria are not met. The primary objective of the study is to determine whether clinicians judge Cor360 reports to provide clinically actionable cardiac phenotyping or risk-assessment information. The study will also evaluate whether reviewing a Cor360 report changes, refines, or confirms a clinician's assessment or intended care pathway, and how Cor360 findings agree with available clinical reference information, standard-of-care testing, or independent expert review. The study includes adults 18 years of age or older with completed or planned Cor XT or Cor MDx wearable ECG monitoring. It includes retrospective and prospective single-study assessments, longitudinal repeated-study assessments, combined retrospective/prospective analyses, and selected limited-duration streaming or patient-activated event assessments. The protocol spans real-world acquisition settings, including home, clinic, ambulatory care, emergency department/triage, ambulance or transport, hospital-based, and hybrid clinic-to-home workflows. Where suitable reference information is available, Cor360 findings may be compared with 12-lead ECG interpretation, Holter or ambulatory ECG findings, echocardiography, other imaging, laboratory results, sleep testing, clinical diagnosis, or blinded expert-panel review. Cor360 is being evaluated as a clinician-facing decision aid and not as an autonomous diagnostic system. Its outputs are intended to augment clinical interpretation and support consideration of relevant care pathways, including rhythm management, heart-failure evaluation, ischemia assessment, conduction or pacing evaluation, and sleep-apnea work-up. The clinician remains responsible for diagnosis, treatment, testing, referral, and patient management.

Fibroblast Growth Factor-1 (FGF-1) for the Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease

Treatment for no-option heart patients with coronary artery disease. Procedure includes the injection into the heart of a protein growth factor, administered by the Biological Delivery Systems MyoStar injection and mapping catheters, to stimulate the growth of blood vessels around blocked coronary arteries.

Prospective Multicenter Registry On Radiation Dose Estimates Of Cardiac CT Angiography in Daily Practice in 2017 (PROTECTION VI)

Background: CCTA is a common way to evaluate coronary artery disease. It stands for coronary computed tomography angiography. It uses scanning to look at the arteries that supply blood to the heart. It is noninvasive, widely available, and generally accurate. But it does expose people to radiation. Exposure to high amounts of radiation can increase a person s risk of getting cancer. Researchers want to learn more about the relationship between CCTA and radiation exposure. Objective: To see how much radiation is used to take pictures of the heart and how measures to reduce radiation are used around the world. Eligibility: People ages 18 years and older who need a computed tomography (CT) scan of the heart Design: Participants will be screened with a review of their medical records. Participants may have a pregnancy test. Participants will have the scheduled scan. Small, sticky discs will be placed on the chest. A small tube will be placed into a vein in the arm. A contrast material (dye) will be given through it. Participants will lie on the CT scanning table. A CCTA scan usually takes about 15 minutes if the heart rate is slow and steady.

CES1 Carriers in the PAPI Study

This study builds, in part, upon preliminary results generated as part of the Pharmacogenomics Anti-Platelet Intervention (PAPI) Study (NCT00799396). The purpose of this investigation is to assess the impact of genetic variation in the carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) on response to clopidogrel as well as dual antiplatelet therapy (i.e. clopidogrel and aspirin), as assessed by ex vivo platelet aggregometry, in healthy Amish individuals. The investigators hypothesize that participants who carry alleles that modify the activity or expression of CES1 will have altered response to clopidogrel as well as dual antiplatelet therapy.

Safety and Clinical Performance of the Freesolve Resorbable Magnesium Scaffold System in the Treatment of Subjects With Long de Novo Lesions

The study objective is the assessment of safety and clinical performance of Freesolve 35- and 40-mm in de novo coronary artery lesions up to 38 mm length.

Safety and Clinical Performance of the Freesolve Resorbable Magnesium Scaffold System

The objective of this study is to assess the safety and efficacy of the Freesolve in the treatment of subjects with up to two de novo lesions in native coronary arteries compared to a contemporary drug eluting stent (DES).

MCG for Non-Obstructive Myocardial Ischemia

The aim of this prospective study is to identify Non-Obstructive Myocardial Ischemia of patients who have acute chest pain using Magnetocardiography.

Impact of Stress CT Myocardial Perfusion on Downstream Resources and Prognosis

CT myocardial perfusion imaging (CTP) represents one of the newly developed CT-based techniques but its cost-effectiveness in the clinical pathway is undefined. The aim of the study is to evaluate the usefulness of combined evaluation of coronary anatomy and myocardial perfusion in intermediate to high-risk patients for suspected CAD or with known disease in terms of clinical decision-making, resource utilization and outcomes in a broad variety of geographic areas and patient subgroups.

Systematic Post-Implementation Evaluation of Stents

To conduct a quality assurance project to establish the differences in health care processes and cost effectiveness of having the thin-strut Orsiro stent versus the thicker strut Promus stent on the shelf (i.e. as the most accessible stent).

Drug-Coated Balloon vs. Drug-Eluting Stent for Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Large Coronary Artery Disease

Prospective, randomised, open-label, international multicenter trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of drug-coated balloon (DCB) treatment compared to drug-eluting stenting (DES) in patients with large coronary artery disease.

Secondary Event Prevention Using Population Risk Management After PCI and for Anti-Rheumatic Medications

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) and its treatment carry profound public health and economic implications. Among Veterans, IHD represents one of the most common causes of death and disability, with over 500,000 affected individuals' annually. Rheumatic disease, though far less common than IHD can affect multiple organ systems and requires therapies costing in excess of $50,000 a year. Optimal treatment of Veterans with IHD and rheumatic disease requires a number of medications to maintain or improve health. Not taking medications as prescribed, however, is common and increases the risk of subsequent adverse events (cardiac death and myocardial infarction \[MI\]). To improve medication adherence rates and the cardiac health of Veterans with IHD, the investigators propose to test a medication adherence intervention. Known as VA SEPPRMACI-ARM (Secondary Event Prevention using Population Risk Management After PCI and for Anti-Rheumatic Medications), this intervention will consist of: proactive real-time adherence monitoring of patients and targeting of individuals if they have not refilled their medication a given number of days after it was due for refill. The intervention will employ a tailored, escalating-intensity approach which begins with some combination of personalized short messaging service (SMS) text messages and interactive voice response (IVR) telephone technology, depending on patient preference. Patients not completing SMS and then IVR by not refilling their medication (or declining SMS and not completing IVR) escalate to a trained research interventionalist. The interventionalist will contact the patient and address adherence barriers based on the dimensions outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO) that are specific to each patient. The investigators will test the intervention on IHD patients who have recently undergone PCI-a cardiac procedure commonly used among IHD patients to improve the heart's blood flow and in patients starting anti-rheumatic medication. The investigators will test the intervention at four VA Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories (CCLs) and have 12 sites serving as usual care controls.

Cardiovascular Risk in Peripheral Artery Disease Patients Undergoing Endovascular Revascularisation

This study will investigate heart-related complications in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) undergoing endovascular revascularization procedures to improve blood flow in the legs. Previous studies have shown that some patients develop silent heart injury after these procedures, even without symptoms, and that this may be associated with worse long-term outcomes. Approximately 500 patients will be included in the study. Blood tests for cardiac biomarkers, including high-sensitivity troponin and NT-proBNP, will be performed before and after the procedure. Participants will also undergo ultrasound examination of the heart to assess heart function, including advanced measures that may detect early or subtle heart damage. In addition, heart rate variability will be measured using a short electrocardiogram recording. Patients will be followed for 30 days and 1 year after the procedure to assess the occurrence of major cardiovascular events, limb-related complications, and death. Additional blood samples will be collected and stored for future analysis of inflammation, oxidative stress, and genetic markers that may help explain the mechanisms associated with heart injury and prognosis in these patients.

Computed Tomography Angiography Based Procedural Planning in PeRcutaneOus Coronary InterVEntion

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether coronary CT angiography (CCTA)-guided planning improves the efficiency and outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in adults with coronary artery disease. It will also evaluate the feasibility and safety of using a CT-based "virtual PCI plan" during coronary interventions. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does CCTA-guided PCI reduce procedural time, radiation exposure, and contrast dye use compared with standard PCI? * Does CCTA-guided PCI improve procedural outcomes and stent optimization? * How often do operators follow or deviate from the CT-based procedural plan? * What medical problems or complications occur during and after CCTA-guided PCI? Researchers will compare CCTA-guided PCI with standard angiography-guided PCI to determine whether CT-derived procedural planning improves PCI efficiency and clinical outcomes. Participants will: * Undergo PCI guided either by a CCTA-based virtual planning strategy or by standard clinical practice * Attend follow-up assessments at 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year * Undergo routine clinical evaluations and imaging assessments related to their PCI procedure * Be monitored for procedural complications, symptoms, repeat procedures, and cardiovascular outcomes during follow-up The study will also include a parallel observational registry for patients whose coronary lesions are deferred from PCI, to evaluate their long-term clinical outcomes.

Ischaemic PReconditioning In Non Cardiac surgEry

Several randomized trials suggested a cardioprotective beneficial effect (eg reduction in cardiac troponin release) of remote ischemic preconditioning in cardiac surgery. Remote ischemic preconditioning by brief episodes of ischemia and reperfusion in a remote organ or vascular territory provides protection from injury by myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. In the translation of remote ischemic preconditioning from bench to bedside, the first proof of principle and small randomized controlled trials have shown a decreased release of myocardial biomarkers after aortic, congenital cardiac, adult valve and coronary artery by-pass graft surgery. This reduction in cardiac biomarkers release translated into better survival in a recent randomized trial performed in cardiac surgery. No clinical trial on remote ischemic preconditioning in non-cardiac surgery setting has been performed so far. The investigators study wants to test, for the first time, the hypothesis that remote ischaemic preconditioning is effective in reducing cardiac damage in high risk patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. Remote ischaemic preconditioning will be achieved by inflation of a blood-pressure cuff to 200 mm Hg to the upper arm for 5 minutes, followed by 5 minutes reperfusion while the cuff will be deflated. General anesthesia will be induced and maintained without using propofol in both groups. Cardiac troponin will be used as marker of cardiac damage. If the results of a reduction in postoperative cardiac troponin release and perioperative cardiac ischaemic events will be confirmed in a non-cardiac surgery setting, the investigators could improve a strategy to prevent perioperative cardiac complication easy to apply, safe and low cost.