Clinical Trials

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 study is to investigate that the worsening orthostatic tachycardia and symptoms after glucose ingestion in POTS patients are due to a greater increase in splanchnic venous capacitance and excessive blood pooling during an orthostatic challenge.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The primary goal of this study is to determine whether curative therapies for individuals with SCD will result in improved or worsening heart, lung, and kidney damage when compared to individuals with SCD receiving standard therapy. The investigators will also explore whether certain genes are associated with a good or bad outcome after curative therapy for SCD.

Do you or your child have sickle cell disease and also have an interest in contributing to long-term data collection? This study is monitoring patients and collecting biological samples from patients who have sickle cell disease to better understand long-term outcomes. Participants can be any age and must have sickle cell disease. This study is located in six sites in Illinois, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

Do you or your child have pulmonary hypertension and want to help research? This study is looking to better understand pulmonary hypertension in children who have this condition. To participate in this study, you or your child must be 21 years old or younger and must have been diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension before the age of 18. This study is located at multiple sites across the United States and Canada, including California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Alberta, Canada.