Clinical Research Directory

A Trial Comparing High-Flow Nasal Cannula Versus Noninvasive Ventilation on Reintubation and Post-Extubation Respiratory Failure in High-Risk Patients With Systolic Heart Failure

This prospective, open-label randomized controlled pilot trial will enroll participants at the Yale New Haven Hospital. Patients with systolic heart failure, defined as an ejection fraction ≤40%, who require invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and are admitted to either the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) or medical ICU (MICU) will be included. Subjects meeting eligibility criteria will be randomized 1:1 to one of the two treatment groups: * Intervention: Extubation to high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) * Control: Extubation to non-invasive ventilation (NIV)

Neuromodulation of Inflammation and Endothelial Function

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is a major cause of mortality in United States. Aging is a major risk factor for adverse outcomes associated with HFrEF, with majority of the patient's over the age of 50, continuing to experience symptoms, reduced exercise capacity and poor quality of life. We have previously demonstrated that low level transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve at the tragus (LLTS) suppresses inflammation in patients with atrial fibrillation and diastolic dysfunction and improved endothelial dysfunction in patients with chronic heart failure. The overall objective of this proposal is to examine the effects of LLTS on heart failure symptoms, exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with HFrEF and simultaneously determine the impact of LLTS on the suppression of inflammation and improvement in endothelial function. Our specific aims include: 1. To examine the medium term effect of intermittent (1 hour daily for 3 months) LLTS on exercise capacity and quality of life, related to sham stimulation, in patients with HFrEF, 2. To determine the effects of medium-term LLTS on sympathovagal/autonomic balance (assessed by heart rate variability) and systemic inflammation in patients with HFrEF and 3. To determine the effects of medium-term LLTS on endothelial function in patients with HFrEF. The proposed proof-of-concept human studies will provide the basis for the design of further human studies using LLTS among larger populations with HFrEF. In light of the increasing number of elderly patients who continue to experience HFrEF symptoms, recognized is a key point of interest in this funding mechanism, and the suboptimal success of the currently available treatment options to ameliorate the problems mentioned above, an alternative novel approach such as LLTS has the potential to impact clinical practice and improve health outcomes among the large number of patients. It is anticipated that these investigations will contribute to a broader understanding of the role of autonomic imbalance, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of HFrEF and how its inhibition can be used to provide therapeutic effects. Moreover, it is anticipated that a better understanding of how modulation of autonomic tone, inflammation and endothelial function affects one of the hallmarks of HFrEF will lead to the development of normal nonpharmacological and pharmacological approaches to treat this disease.

A Registry-based Cluster Randomized Trial to Compare the Effect of Spironolactone vs. Eplerenone on Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Symptomatic Systolic Heart Failure

Objective The objective is to compare the efficacy of spironolactone and eplerenone on clinical outcome in patients with heart failure and a reduced ejection fraction. Method The study is a crossover cluster randomized trial. Each heart failure clinic in Denmark will be allocated to four periods (clusters): two periods with spironolactone and two periods with eplerenone as first drug. The planned total participation time for each department is 4 years and we estimate that data from 7200 patients will be accrued in this period. Endpoints will be assessed through Danish National Registries.