Clinical Trials

Have you been diagnosed with orthostatic intolerance? This study aims to find out how the body’s regulation of basic functions, such as heart rate and blood pressure, is altered in people who have orthostatic intolerance. This condition, which has an unknown cause, is characterized by a racing heartbeat, dizziness, lightheadedness, and other symptoms that occur when a person stands up. To participate in this study, you must be between 18 and 80 years old and have orthostatic intolerance. This study is located in Nashville, Tennessee.

Do you have low blood pressure due to primary autonomic failure from a medical condition such as Parkinson disease, multiple system atrophy, or pure autonomic failure? Autonomic failure is caused by problems with a part of the nervous system called the autonomic nervous system. People with this condition can suffer debilitating low blood pressure upon standing. This study is testing the use of compression garments compared with a medicine called midodrine to improve blood pressure. To participate in this study, you must be between 18 and 80 years old and have low blood pressure when standing. This study takes place in Nashville, Tennessee.

The investigators propose to study the relationship between right ventricle (RV) steatosis and RV function, exercise capacity, and outcomes in humans with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and to identify potential drivers of lipid accumulation.

The Investigators propose a randomized trial of smart texts versus usual care for 6 months. The Investigators will randomize 100 PAH patients to the mHealth intervention or usual care. The Investigators will test the effect of a text-based mHealth intervention on HRQOL in PAH using the PAH-specific emPHasis-10 questionnaire. The Investigators will also test the effect of an mHealth intervention on exercise capacity, measured by a supervised home-based 6MWD test. Finally, the Investigators will examine the effect of the intervention on time to clinical worsening (composite of PAH therapy escalation, PAH hospitalization, and death) one year after randomization.

Investigators will conduct in-human PET imaging of 18F-fluoroglutamine (18F-FGln) in patients with PAH to compare glutamine uptake to that of controls.

The investigators propose to study the relationship between right ventricle (RV) steatosis and RV function, exercise capacity, and outcomes in humans with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and to identify potential drivers of lipid accumulation.

Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have reduced health related quality of life (HRQOL) and impaired exercise capacity. Despite fourteen approved therapies, most patients die within ten years. Increasing physical activity is highly efficacious in PAH, resulting in six-minute walk distance (6MWD) and HRQOL improvement that often exceeds the effect of medications. Prior activity studies required inpatient rehabilitation, which is impractical, hard to sustain, and poorly scalable to a rare disease.

The Investigators propose a randomized trial of smart texts versus usual care for 6 months. The Investigators will randomize 100 PAH patients to the mHealth intervention or usual care. The Investigators will test the effect of a text-based mHealth intervention on HRQOL in PAH using the PAH-specific emPHasis-10 questionnaire. The Investigators will also test the effect of an mHealth intervention on exercise capacity, measured by a supervised home-based 6MWD test. Finally, the Investigators will examine the effect of the intervention on time to clinical worsening (composite of PAH therapy escalation, PAH hospitalization, and death) one year after randomization.

Have you lived in Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, or Mississippi for at least two years and are you interested in participating in a clinical study where researchers are trying to better understand health and disease in rural areas? The study team will track your physical activity using a provided Fitbit device and will also ask questions about your health and lifestyle through a cell phone app. You will also receive a kit to measure environmental and health factors in your homes. Participants must live in one of these counties: Dallas County, Alabama; Wilcox County, Alabama; Boyle County, Kentucky; Perry County, Kentucky; Garrard County, Kentucky; Breathitt County, Kentucky; Assumption Parish, Louisiana; Franklin Parish, Louisiana; Oktibbeha County, Mississippi; and Panola County, Mississippi.

The proposed research study will provide preliminary evidence of the potential to utilize [F-18]FGln as a non-invasive imaging biomarker of glutamine flux and metabolism across a range of PAH subjects.

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.