Clinical Trials

This is a technical development study with the goal to develop 3D techniques for atherosclerosis plaque characterization. We hypothesize that 3D MRI is superior to 2D MRI in characterizing major plaque constituents that contribute to severe clinical events such as myocardial infarction or stroke. The major advantages of the 3D techniques to be developed will include high spatial resolution, reduced scan times, and optimized image contrast. The use of contrast injection is not needed with the new techniques, which is greatly beneficial for patients with advanced chronic kidney disease. This is not a funded clinical trial.

Is your family from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, or Sri Lanka? If so, you may be able to participate in a clinical study looking at cardiovascular disease, such as heart disease and stroke among people of South Asian descent. Participants must be between 40 and 84 years old and have no history of heart attack or stroke, heart failure, angina, or atrial fibrillation. This study is taking place in San Francisco, California, Chicago, Illinois, and New York City, New York.

Are you at least 40 years old and living with HIV? In this study, researchers are looking at how effective educational text messages are in reducing cardiovascular risk among persons living with HIV. You may be able to participate if you do not currently have atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of fats and cholesterol on your artery walls. The study is taking place in San Francisco, California.

Are you an adult with carotid artery stenosis (CAS)? Researchers in this study want to learn more about the plaque that causes atherosclerosis in patients with carotid artery stenosis. To be in the study, you must be at least 18 years old and will undergo a carotid positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging exam so researchers can lean more on the new PET imaging approach for risk prediction in these patients. The study is taking place Saint Louis, Missouri, and in Los Angeles, California.

Are you planning to have coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery to treat your heart disease? This study aims to use computed tomography (CT) imaging to help doctors and their patients make better decisions about heart surgery. To participate in this study, you must be at least 40 years old and be scheduled for a CABG. This study is located in Palo Alto and San Diego, California

This study is evaluating the dynamics of red blood cell lysis, pfH, protective proteins and organ injury, limits will be set for safe levels of pfH following the use of CPB.

Are you a healthy adult between the ages of 18 and 60? For this study, researchers are testing a new medication to treat a lung injury called pulmonary arterial hypertension. First, researchers will test the medication to see how it affects healthy people. To participate, you must be a healthy adult between the ages of 18 and 60. The study will take place at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

The investigators' central hypothesis is that early combination therapy with two PAH-specific oral therapies that have been shown to be well tolerated in the pediatric population, sildenafil and bosentan, will result in better World Health Organization (WHO) functional class at 12 months after initiation of PAH treatment than therapy with sildenafil alone.

Has your doctor recommended right heart cardiac catheterization for you? This study is investigating new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques that use a guidewire to help position a heart catheter within the heart. MRI fluoroscopy shows pictures of the heart so that doctors can watch while they work. Using the guidewire during MRI may improve the procedure of heart catheterization. To participate in this study, you must be at least 18 years old, and your doctor must have recommended right heart catheterization for you. This study is located in Bethesda, Maryland.

Are you an adult interested in a new treatment for pulmonary hypertension? This study is exploring whether a medicine called spironolactone can improve heart and lung function during exercise in people who have pulmonary hypertension. To participate in this study, you must be 18 to 99 years old and have a type of pulmonary hypertension known as pulmonary arterial hypertension. This study is located in Bethesda, Maryland.