Cardiovascular Diseases Clinical Trials

The goal of this prospective study is to evaluate whether the Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation (ICR) program provides incremental benefits over the Traditional Cardiac Rehabilitation (TCR) program, defined by readmission costs. The study aims to confirm: * That ICR is associated with better outcomes than TCR, defined as lower readmission costs, lower incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), and improvement in biomarkers, epigenetic markers, and inflammatory markers. * The addition of food to the ICR program will further improve these outcomes. ICR-eligible participants * Will be randomized into one of three groups: (1) ICR 72 session program with home-delivered C2life® supplied food, (2) ICR 72 session without C2life® supplied food, or (3) TCR 36 session program without C2life supplied food * Biometric measurements and laboratory measurements will be performed at entry into the rehab intervention, discharge from rehab intervention, and at 6 months after discharge. * Epigenetic measurements will be performed at admission and discharge from the rehab intervention Read Less

The Canadian Australasian Randomized Trial of Screening Kidney Transplant Candidates for Coronary Artery Disease (CARSK) will test the hypothesis that eliminating the regular use of non-invasive screening tests for CAD AFTER waitlist activation is not inferior to regular (i.e., annual) screening for CAD during wait-listing for the prevention of Major Adverse Cardiac Events. Secondary analyses will assess the impact of screening on the rate of transplantation, and the relative cost-effectiveness of screening. Read Less

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents the leading cause of death worldwide. While medications, such as statins, significantly reduce atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) risk by lowering low density lipoprotein levels, they may also have pleiotropic effects on inflammation. The immunomodulatory effects of these medications are relevant to ASCVD risk reduction given that inflammation plays a central role in atherosclerotic plaque formation (atherogenesis) and influences the development of vulnerable plaque morphology. Patients on statins, however, may have residual inflammation contributing to incident ASCVD despite the potent LDL-lowering effects of statins. While new therapies, such as proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PSCK9) inhibitors, further reduce incident ASCVD and drastically reduce LDL-C below that achieved by statin therapy alone, PCSK9 inhibitors may also have pleiotropic effects on inflammation. Thus, PCSK9 inhibitors may help reduce arterial inflammation to a level closer to that of patients without ASCVD. This study will apply a novel targeted molecular imaging approach, technetium 99m (99mTc)-tilmanocept SPECT/CT, to determine if residual macrophage-specific arterial inflammation is present with statin therapy and the immunomodulatory effects of PSCK9 inhibition. Given the continued high mortality and morbidity attributable to ASCVD, strong imperatives exist to better understand the immunomodulatory effects of lipid lowering therapies and residual inflammatory risk. This understanding, in turn, will inform the development of new ASCVD preventative and treatment strategies as well as elucidate other indications for established therapies. Read Less

Healthy School Recognized Campus is a Texas A\&M AgriLife Extension initiative that supports the delivery of school-based physical activity and nutrition programs for diverse youth across Texas. The purpose of this study is to improve the delivery of these programs and optimize the effect they have on youth's cardiovascular risk factors. Read Less

Strong Teens for Healthy Schools (STHS) is a school-based, civic engagement program that empowers middle school students to improve their physical activity and healthy eating behaviors, improve their cardiovascular disease outcomes, and create positive change in their school health environments. Read Less

The goal of this randomized, crossover, clinical trial is to link: 1) gastrointestinal motility patterns induced by acute consumption of whole and refined grains, 2) enteric microbial production of bioactive metabolites, and 3) circulating postprandial appearance of metabolites important to cardiometabolic health including glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol. Participants will be asked to consume a Smartpill monitoring device that records metrics of gastrointestinal motility in response to whole or refined grains, monitor cardiometabolic metabolties over an 8 hour postprandial window, and provide a fecal sample for microbiome-related analyses. Read Less

This study will examine whether wearable sensors can be used to track changes in cognitive-motor performance in response to a disease or an intervention. The investigators specific aims are twofold, first aim to explore whether and how a clinical condition such as Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) may impact motor-cognitive performance measurable using validated wearable devices (e.g., LEGSys, BalanSENS, and Frailty Meter). Second, the investigators will explore whether an exercise intervention provided via tele-medicine (tele-rehabilitation) can enhance motor-cognitive performance. Read Less

This comparative diagnostic accuracy study will determine the accuracy of a noninvasive wearable infrasonic sensor to detect the mechanical, electrical, and hemodynamic function of the cardiovascular system. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of a 6-month family-based community intervention to mitigate cardiovascular disease risk factors in Hispanic families in northern Colorado as measured through biometric screenings, body composition, physical activity, and health knowledge. Read Less

This study aims to determine whether changes in retinal vasculature seen on SS-OCTA can be correlated to degree of cardiovascular disease as measured by carotid duplex ultrasonography. Read Less

The goal of our pragmatic clinical trial is to compare how well three different strategies might do to reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease in patients experiencing health disparities. The three different strategies are: 1) text messages, 2) interactive chatbot messages, and 3) chatbot messages with proactive pharmacist support. To measure cardiovascular risk factors, the investigators are using the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 (LE8) factors-blood glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, physical activity, body mass index, diet, and smoking. This study focuses on improving cardiovascular risk factors for individuals facing health disparities, such as ethnic minorities, limited English proficiency, and low-income groups. These groups are more likely to be seriously affected by cardiovascular diseases. Self-management, or an individual's roles in managing their own chronic disease, includes lifestyle changes, medication adherence. Improving patients' self-management has been shown to improve health behaviors, better disease control and improved patient outcomes. The main question this study aims to answer is if one of the strategies (texting, chatbot, or chatbot with pharmacist support) may improve patient self-management and patient outcomes. The investigators will enroll up to 2,100 patients from three health systems that serve large populations experiencing health disparities: Denver Health, Salud Family Health Centers, and STRIDE Community Health Center. The results might help researchers and health care systems find the best ways to involve patients with health disparities to managing their chronic cardiovascular disease. Read Less

The investigators propose to use a parallel group, randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of a 13-week personalized approach to reducing smoking intervention versus a second approach using a different health intervention on smoking cessation, healthy sleep metrics, and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk in a sample of 200 treatment-seeking smokers who are adults living with HIV (ALHIV). To enroll in the study, treatment-seeking ALHIV smokers will undergo phone and in-person study eligibility assessments, including a history, physical examination, screening laboratory tests, and an overnight in-home objective sleep assessment. Eligible subjects (N=200) will be randomized to the 13-week Approach 1 (N=100) or Approach 2 (N=100) condition. All subjects will receive a 12-week course of varenicline (beginning in week 2) and 8 individual 15-minute smoking cessation counseling sessions \[weeks 1, 2, 3 (target quit date), 5, 7, 9, 11, 13\]. At each in-person counseling session, 30-45 minutes of Approach 1 or Approach 2 counseling will be provided as well. While receiving varenicline, the study team will monitor for side effects and changes to blood pressure at each study visit for safety reasons. Study measures are collected at all time points including EOT (week 13), and 6-month follow-up (6MFU). Read Less