Clinical Trials

Are you a woman with coronary microvascular dysfunction? In this clinical trial, researchers are studying coronary microvascular dysfunction, which occurs when there are problems in the small blood vessels in the heart. It frequently causes chest pain and is more common in women. The researchers want to learn how daily life and mental stress affect the heart. You may be able to participate if you are at least 45 years old, have gone through menopause, and are willing to undergo tests to measure your stress level. The study is taking place at locations in Atlanta, Georgia.

Do you have heart disease? This study is looking to improve the quality of heart CT scans by using new methods to create the images. You may be able to participate in the study if you are 18 years old or older, have heart disease, and have been told by your doctor that you need a CT scan. This study is taking place at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Are you 75 years old or older and interested in participating in a clinical trial where researchers are studying whether statins, which are often used to treat high cholesterol, can help improve heart and brain health. To participate, you cannot have cardiovascular disease or dementia. The study is taking place at locations in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Puerto Rico.

Do you have mitral valve disease? This clinical trial is testing different types of images taken of the heart to learn more about mitral valve disease and the best ways to treat it. You must be 60 years old to participate. The study is enrolling patients in locations in Arkansas, California, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Quebec City, Canada.

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.

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.