Clinical Trials

Are you a smoker with COPD who is willing to use an e-cigarette to reduce how much you smoke? If so, you may be able to participate in a study that is trying to learn more about the effect of switching from smoking cigarettes to using e-cigarettes on COPD symptoms. You may be able to participate if you are 21 to 74 years old, have mild to moderate COPD, and are willing to try e-cigarettes to cut back on your smoking. The study is taking place in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Are you an adult who gets little exercise and sits a lot every day? If you sit for more than 8 hours a day and exercise less than 90 minutes per week, this study may interest you. Researchers want to see if walking or standing breaks during long sitting periods can make your heart healthier. To take part in this study, you must be 36 to 55 years old. You also should be able to walk four blocks and go up two flights of stairs. The study is taking place in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

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.

Have you had a baby within the past month? If so, you may be able to participate in this clinical trial where researchers are testing out a home visitation program for women who have recently given birth. Participants in the study will be visited by trained nurses who will help with soothing, feeding, sleep, and physical activity. To participate, you must be at least 18 years old and have reliable access to the internet. Mother and infant must also be enrolled in the Nurse Family Partnership program. This study is taking place in Altoona and Danville, Pennsylvania.

Are you interested in participating in a clinical trial on heart health? In this trial, researchers are testing ways to help lower blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular disease as people age. To participate, you must be 65 to 80 years old, and you must not have high blood pressure or take medication for high blood pressure. The study is taking place in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

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 determine the occurrence of scarring of the heart (cardiac fibrosis) and inflammation in those with perinatally acquired Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection compared to people not infected with HIV. The information learned from this research may help the investigator to better understand the link between cardiac fibrosis and cardiac dysfunction and inflammation in those with perinatally acquired HIV infection compared to the uninfected.

The purpose of this study is to non-invasively characterize the fibrotic consequences of single ventricle physiology, its possible solution and effect on lymphatics. This project investigates the response to acute imposition of Fontan hemodynamics by examining the interrelationship between liver and cardiac fibrosis/dysfunction and lymphatic congestion along with a pilot trial of the antifibrotic agent, spironolactone, to prevent these consequences and to determine if MRI can discern these differences. The combination of serum biomarkers and MRI form a powerful non-invasive tool in putting together this complicated web of dysfunction.

This project will determine the health impact of parenthood on people with cystic fibrosis (CF). The study team will use retrospective data to provide relatively immediate evidence on parenthood's effect on pulmonary health.

The purpose of this study is to look at lung ventilation in people with cystic fibrosis over time (1 year) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with an inhaled contrast gas, and compare these measures to lung function assessed by spirometry and multiple breath nitrogen washout. This study also looks at how these measures change in response to a pulmonary exacerbation and treatment (if applicable). Over the span of a year, participants would be asked to complete 3-5 visits to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). with each lasting up to 4 hours. If participants do not have a pulmonary exacerbation during the year they would be asked to complete 3 visits (one at enrollment, a second roughly 2 weeks later, and the third approximately a year later). If participants do experience a CF pulmonary exacerbation they would complete 5 visits (Visit 1, Visit 2, two exacerbation visits with one before treatment and the other after, and Visit 3 at one year after Visit 1). Only one exacerbation per participant will be tracked. Participants are eligible for this study if they are 18 years old or older, have Cystic Fibrosis (CF) with mild lung disease (FEV1 >/= 60%), and can undergo an MRI. There are no known benefits for participating in this study.