Clinical Trials

Are you a Minnesota resident with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy? This study aims to find out how common it is for people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy to also have sleep apnea. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease that causes the heart muscle to thicken. Participants will also wear a heart rhythm monitor to help researchers learn whether sleep apnea is linked to arrhythmia. The study seeks healthy volunteers as well as participants in the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Registry. To participate in this study, you must not have had a catheter ablation procedure to treat atrial fibrillation, had surgery to replace your heart valves, or been treated for sleep apnea. The study is located in Rochester, Minnesota.

Have you been diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy and are within 5 months of your due date? This study is evaluating the effectiveness of a medicine called bromocriptine to treat peripartum cardiomyopathy, or weakness of the heart muscle that occurs during or shortly after pregnancy. To participate in this study, you must be at least 18 years old, diagnosed with peripartum cardiomyopathy, and within 5 months of your delivery date. This study takes place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Have you recently been diagnosed with Takotsubo Syndrome? This study aims to investigate the short- and long-term effects of takotsubo syndrome, sometimes referred to as broken heart syndrome. Usually, takotsubo syndrome is a temporary heart condition that is caused by either emotional or physical stress. To participate in this study, you must have a new diagnosis of takotsubo syndrome and be at least 18 years old. This study takes place in Providence, Rhode Island.

Do you have cardiomyopathy that has led to moderate or severe mitral regurgitation? This study is exploring the best surgical technique to repair mitral regurgitation by comparing two procedures called undersizing mitral annuloplasty (UMA) and papillary muscle approximation (PMA). A UMA is a common procedure that involves implanting a prosthetic ring onto the mitral valve to stop the valve from leaking. A PMA is a newer technique in which a suture draws together the two muscles that connect the mitral valve to the heart muscle prior to performing UMA. To participate in this study, you must be 18 years old or older and have never had a mitral valve repair procedure. This study takes place in Atlanta, Georgia.

Are you an adult who does not have high blood pressure and is interested in research? This study will investigate how the brain regulates the body’s response to stress and how infection with HIV or pre-hypertension affects regulation. Your heart and brain activity will be measured while you are at rest, during a mentally stressful task, and while you feel angry. The study will also test whether a breathing exercise improves regulation. People with and without HIV and pre-hypertension will be included. To participate in this study, you must be between 21 and 65 years old and not have high blood pressure. This study is located in Miami, Florida.

The purpose of this study is to compare reintubation rates and outcomes of patients treated with high-flow nasal canula oxygen therapy (HFNC) and patients treated with provider choice of standard care.

The purpose of this trial is to evaluate if augmenting a usual audit and feedback implementation approach with telehealth-enabled support improves coordinated spontaneous awakening/breathing trials and patient outcomes for mechanically ventilated patients.

Ventilated pediatric patients are frequently over-sedated and the majority suffer from delirium, a form of acute brain dysfunction that is an independent predictor of increased risk of dying, length of stay, and costs. Universally prescribed sedative medications-the GABA-ergic benzodiazepines-worsen this brain organ dysfunction and independently prolong duration of ventilation and ICU stay, and the available alternative sedation regimen using dexmedetomidine, an alpha-2 agonist, has been shown to be superior to benzodiazepines in adults, and may mechanistically impact outcomes through positive effects on innate immunity, bacterial clearance, apoptosis, cognition and delirium. The mini-MENDS trial will compare dexmedetomidine and midazolam, and determine the best sedative medication to reduce delirium and improve duration of ventilation, and functional, psychiatric, and cognitive recovery in our most vulnerable patients-survivors of pediatric critical illness.

Is your newborn in the NICU at Holtz Children’s Hospital in Miami? Newborns born very prematurely often need oxygen therapy or ventilation to help them breathe and survive. This study will help doctors understand how changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide levels while newborns are getting treatment affect how their lungs develop. While your newborn is in the newborn neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), researchers will record his or her oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, heart rate, and other measures. To participate in this study, your newborn must have been born prematurely between 23 and 28 weeks’ gestation, be less than 28 days old, and be receiving oxygen therapy. This study is located in Miami, Florida.

Are you or a loved one on a ventilator in the hospital in Minnesota? This study is finding out whether people who are on a ventilator sleep better and have less anxiety if they can control their own sedation medicine. To participate in this study, you must be at least 18 years old and receiving mechanical ventilation while hospitalized. This study is located in Minneapolis and Rochester, Minnesota.