Clinical trials

Atrial fibrillation (AF) often starts with short episodes of rapid irregular heartbeats that are only detected by implanted pacemakers or defibrillators. Usually people don't know that they have these episodes. Over time, these episodes can happen more often and last for longer periods. In some people, the heart eventually remains permanently in a fast irregular rhythm, known as atrial fibrillation. This condition can lead to strokes and blood clots. If physicians could detect atrial fibrillation at a very early stage they could treat people early and possibly prevent the condition from becoming permanent. People with implanted devices allow a unique opportunity to constantly monitor the heart rhythm so investigators can detect any irregularities immediately. Investigators don't know which people are at risk of developing short episodes of fast irregular heartbeats that can lead to atrial fibrillation. The purpose of this study is to find out if there are proteins or chemical changes in the blood that can predict the risk of developing atrial fibrillation. These chemical changes, also known as biomarkers, may also be able to give investigators other clues about atrial fibrillation.

Adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) are a growing patient population in need of ongoing specialized care. Lapses in appropriate transition and transfer processes from childhood to adulthood in CHD care can lead to loss in follow up, late detection of new or evolving cardiac complications and negative patient outcomes. Therefore, it is vital that a robust transition and transfer process is established. Through a retrospective study completed recently at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) we have shown that the average wait time to be assessed by an adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) specialist is about 10 months and within this wait period 1 in 8 ACHD patients have a decline in their health. The goal of this study is to specifically reduce negative patient outcomes during this wait period. We aim to achieve this by (i) establishing a program to ensure early detection of patients at risk of deterioration and (ii) providing additional support to these patients. The program is designed to have a multipronged approach including tools to disseminate concise patient specific information among care providers, maintain open line of communication with patients on the waitlist and promote patient education. We plan to improve our transition care by creating a multi-pronged transfer program specifically for patients on the wait list composed of a nurse check in, creation of a diagnosis summary, education day and combined pediatric cardiology/ACHD handover videocall (described below). This program is planned as part of our care pathway and will be offered to all patients on the wait list. We intend to document the efficacy of this transition program to improve transition care by assessing patient reported outcomes and clinical outcomes of the patients who consent to complete additional questionnaires. The multi-pronged program will include the following: 1. ACHD nurse check-in (patient check-in via phone call or zoom from the ACHD nurse within 1 month of receiving referral) - allows early establishment of clinical relationship with the patient, screen for risk factors for deterioration and provision of ACHD clinic contact information to enable open line of communication. Patients considered at risk for deterioration on the wait-list based on this check-in conversation will be triaged for a more urgent first consult at the ACHD clinic. 2. Quick glance diagnosis summary (Electronic on Epic MyChart) - will be created during nurse check in and will be used to disseminate concise patient specific information among health care workers and acts as a reference for the patients. 3. Organization of an ACHD patient education day (half day hybrid event every 6 months) - allows formal introduction to the ACHD team, provides information session on ACHD care and lowers patients' threshold to inform the ACHD team in case of clinical deterioration. 4. Combined pediatric cardiology and ACHD handover video call at time of transfer - allows effective and efficient handover of patient care from pediatric to adult care and facilitates the coordination of care during the transfer period. These four components of the program work together to provide tools to disseminate concise patient specific information among care providers, maintain open line of communication with patients on the waitlist and promote patient education.

EMPOWER aims to determine the overall effect of menopause and sleep disruption on cardiac remodeling in women with type 2 diabetes.

The goal of the research study is to measure mental health and quality of life indices of individuals treated for electrical storm (ES). The consequences of being admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) with electrical storm as well as the treatments patients would have received, are currently not well understood. Understanding the mental health burden of these treatments among survivors can provide insights into how to improve care. This is a study consisting of patients who participated in the SEDATE trial (dexmedetomidine vs usual standard of care to treat ES in the ICU). Patients who consent to participate in this study will be asked to complete a set of questionnaires 3-6 months after their ICU admission. The purpose of the questionnaires is to measure indices of mental health and health-related quality of life. Each questionnaire will take about 5-15 minutes to complete. If patients have a scheduled follow-up at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, a member of the research team will meet with them during their clinic visit to complete the questionnaires. Otherwise, they can be completed over the telephone.

This is a randomized, placebo-controlled study. Patients with long COVID will be randomized to receive dapagliflozin or placebo for 12 months.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a type of irregular heart rhythm due to electrical signal disturbances of the heart. It is a very common arrhythmia and the risk of developing AF increases with age and with other risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and underlying heart disease. The main complications of AF are heart failure and stroke. However, studies have shown that restoration of normal rhythm does not reduce these complications. Rather, these complications are mitigated by controlling the heart rate and using blood thinners to prevent stroke. Symptoms secondary to AF can occur due to the irregular heart rate and poor contraction in the atria, the top chambers of the heart. These symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, reduced exercise tolerance, and palpitations. Restoring sinus rhythm can sometimes alleviate these symptoms. Given that studies to date have not shown a difference in hard clinical endpoints between rate and rhythm control strategies, the decision to proceed with rhythm control depends on the patient symptom burden. Rhythm control strategies in patients with persistent AF include cardioversion back to sinus rhythm with long-term recurrence prevention via anti-arrhythmic drugs (AADs) or catheter ablation. However, many studies of these procedures omit a sham placebo control arm. No atrial fibrillation procedural intervention has been compared to a sham procedure. The cardioversion procedure can easily be compared to a "sham" alternative, as it is non-invasive with an expected response within days-to-weeks. Thus, a cardioversion versus "sham" cardioversion trial will allow us to truly assess the impact of a rhythm-control strategy on QOL. It is hypothesized that cardioversion of atrial fibrillation leads to significant improvement in quality of life (QOL) compared to sham cardioversion. Understanding the true QOL impact of sinus rhythm restoration in patients with persistent AF is of significant importance in guiding strategies for the management of AF. Hence, by evaluating what the true effect of cardioversion on QOL in this blinded study, we can better understand the role of medical management and AF ablation in our patients and assess resource allocation to these procedures.

Prospective randomized controlled trial comparing low dose Prednisone(or Prednisolone)/Methotrexate combination to standard dose Prednisone(or Prednisolone) in patients diagnosed with acute active clinically manifest cardiac sarcoidosis and not yet treated. The Investigators hypothesize that low dose Prednisone(or Prednisolone)/Methotrexate combination will be as effective as standard dose Prednisone(or Prednisolone), and result in significantly better quality of life and less toxicity than standard dose Prednisone(or Prednisolone).

Recent data has shown that sarcoidosis, presenting initially with cardiac manifestations (CS) of either conduction system disease or cardiomyopathy and sustained VT, is not uncommon. A Canadian physician survey found that most physicians do not investigate for CS as a possibility in these situations. Thus many patients with clinically important CS are going un-diagnosed. A study from Finland showed that missing the diagnosis of CS in these patients' leads to significant mortality and morbidity. There are no published clinical consensus guidelines on treatment of CS. Corticosteroid therapy is advocated by most experts. This is based on very modest data from small retrospective observational studies using variable definitions of clinical response. The effect of corticosteroid treatment on the clinical course of CS has not been studied in prospective studies and will be one of the aims of this project. Recent physician surveys regarding CS, in Canada and the US, found that current clinical practice varies widely. The 2008 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/Heart Rhythm society guidelines recommend implantation of a defibrillator (Class IIa recommendation) to prevent sudden cardiac death. The most recent Canadian device therapy guidelines do not mention CS. A multi-center collaborative approach to study CS is greatly needed." The investigators propose exactly that i.e. a multi-center prospective cohort to start to answer clinical questions. The investigators have formed the CANADIAN CARDIAC SARCOIDOSIS RESEARCH GROUP. The group includes respirologists with an interest in sarcoidosis, cardiac electrophysiologists, cardiac imaging specialists with extensive experience in imaging of sarcoidosis and biostatisticians. The research will be in two phases; a registry of current diagnostic approaches, treatment and prognosis, and a randomized clinical trial of the effect of corticosteroid treatment on the clinical course of cardiac sarcoidosis.

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to learn whether patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter (AF) who require heart imaging to rule out a blood clot before cardioversion would benefit from cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCT) in the emergency department (ED) compared to current standard of care management. This will be a multicenter trial evaluating whether CCT-facilitated cardioversion in the ED reduces hospital admission, reduces repeat presentations to hospital and improves patient quality of life compared to the current standard of care. Participants will undergo CCT-facilitated cardioversion or be treated according to current standard of care while in the ED and complete quality of life questionnaires in the ED and follow-up at 30 days.

RAPID PREVENT aims to identify if a personalized (targeted) anti-platelet strategy will reduce bleeding events when compared to the current standard anti-platelet therapy.

The Pilot study for the COMFORT Trial is a single centre trial to determine the feasibility of the full COMFORT Trial. The main COMFORT Trial will be a multi-centre trial to investigate the coronary artery bypass grafting outcomes when harvesting the Left Internal Mammary Artery (LIMA) using a skeletonized approach (artery is isolated without the surrounding veins, fascia and nerves) compared to harvesting the LIMA using a non-skeletonized approach (artery is isolated with the surrounding veins, fascia and nerves). Harvesting the LIMA with the non-skeletonized approach is the standard technique. Participants will complete a Coronary Artery Tomography scan at 1 year to determine if the LIMA graft remains open. Follow up of the participants will continue until 2 years post surgery.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if icosapent ethyl (Vascepa) works to lessen the amount of inflammation in adults diagnosed with Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP). The main question it aims to answer is: What is the effect of taking Vascepa on inflammation in the arteries in patients with CAP? Researchers will compare the drug Vascepa to a placebo (a look-alike submstance that contains no drug) to see if Vascepa works to reduce inflammation in patients with CAP. Participants wil: * take Vacscepa or a placebo twice a day for 6 months * Visit the clinic 3 times (baseline, 30 days, and 6 months) for checkups and tests

To assess the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to determine the effectiveness of semaglutide as an adjunct to combination NRT in supporting smoking cessation for patients with diabetes.

The Primary Objective is to determine if a new nuclear tracer (named 18F-Florbetaben) used with nuclear imaging (PET imaging) can detect inflamed plaque in patients with recent ACS or stroke/TIA.

CANTOR SING is a pilot single center double blinded randomized study. The investigators will compare the effect of canagliflozin (300 mg daily - intervention arm) vs. placebo (control group) on the FDG aortic uptake in patients with stable CAD (over 60 days post-myocardial infarction) after a 6-month period of treatment. The investigators plan to enroll 8 patients in each arm (total sample size: 16 patients). Primary endpoint is the change in FDG aortic uptake between baseline and 6 months in each arm.

The pericardium is a thin, double-layered sac around the heart that helps reduce friction as the heart moves. When this sac gets inflamed, it is called pericarditis, which can cause serious health problems and even be life-threatening. Pericarditis often comes back after the first episode. About 10-30% of people will have it again, and half of those will have it multiple times. Although there are treatments available, they are costly and not often used because we can't predict who best to use them on. Finding a way to predict which patients would benefit from these treatments could help reduce the burden on patients and the healthcare system. This study will use a test called an 18F-FDG PET/CT with CTA Scan (18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) with computer tomography angiography (CTA)) to measure inflammation in the pericardium. The purpose of the study is to create easy-to-use tools for doctors to identify people at high risk of pericarditis coming back, so they can get advanced treatment early. This study will help fill knowledge gaps about key predictors like clinical signs, blood tests, and imaging results.

Ischemic stroke represents a major public health issue, leading to significant disabilities and deaths worldwide. When no clear cause for stroke is found following a comprehensive cardiovascular evaluation (no atrial fibrillation, cardiac masses, or atherosclerosis) i.e. cryptogenic stroke, it is recommended to search for a patent foramen ovale (PFO), especially in young patients. It is estimated that cryptogenic stroke accounts for 30% to 40% of ischemic strokes. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) with bubble study at rest and during Valsalva maneuver is the reference method for the diagnosis of PFO. The treatment of PFO using a closure device has demonstrated a significant reduction in recurrent stroke events in patients with PFO and cryptogenic stroke. The Valsalva maneuver is currently achieved using self-directed maneuver i.e. patients are instructed to ''bear down'' or ''strain as if attempting to move your bowels.'' These instructions are subjective and depend largely on individuals understanding and effort. A Goal-Directed Valsalva Maneuver using a manometer has been shown to be a more reproducible way to perform the Valsalva achieving more sensitivity in different settings such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy but its incremental diagnostic value for the detection of PFO has not been yet evaluated. The aim of the present study is to compare the sensibility and specificity of two methods of Valsalva maneuver for the detection of PFO. We hypothesize that Goal-Directed Valsalva Maneuver will significantly increase the detection rate of PFO compared to Self-Directed Valsalva Maneuver.

Mitral valve leakage, or mitral regurgitation (MR), is associated with heart failure symptoms including shortness of breath, fatigue, irregular heart rate. When left untreated, it may cause death. Patients with MR can be divided in two broad groups: those with primary MR, caused by disease of the mitral valve structures, and those with secondary MR, due to dilation of the heart chambers. Our study focuses on patients with primary MR. The standard treatment for severe symptomatic primary MR is mitral valve surgery, a type of open-heart surgery. The outcomes following this procedure are excellent, however, a subset of patients continue to experience heart failure symptoms after surgery due to very high pressures in the heart, more specifically in the left atrium, which is one of the four heart chambers. This is called functional mitral stenosis (FMS). Previous studies have shown that creating a small opening between the left and right atria can help relieve the pressure inside the left atrium. We would like to determine whether creating this opening between the two atria at the time of mitral valve surgery can help prevent FMS. To answer this question, we will study two groups of patients who need mitral valve surgery for primary MR. The first group will undergo mitral valve surgery, along with the creation of the opening between the two atria. The second group will undergo mitral valve surgery alone. We will then compare the outcomes between both groups, namely with regards to their heart failure symptoms after open-heart surgery.

The evidence-based pharmacologic treatments available for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) has been established over the last few decades of cardiovascular research. These treatments, termed Foundational Guideline-Directed-Medical Therapies (GDMT), prolong patient life, improve patient-reported symptoms, and reduce hospitalizations for heart failure. A direct effect of most medication classes encompassed within GDMT is the reduction in blood pressure due to their mechanisms of action. In addition, as patients with HFrEF become more advanced in their disease, a significant proportion develop hypotension related to pump failure and autonomic dysfunction, amongst other possible mechanisms. As a result, a significant proportion of HFrEF patients are not optimized on GDMT with hypotension as their limiting barrier that would otherwise have served to improve their heart function, heart failure symptoms, and mortality. Currently, there does not exist any evidence-based strategies to address the problem of hypotension in HFrEF patients who are not optimized on GDMT. Midodrine is an alpha-adrenergic agonist (α1-AR) that exerts its effects on peripheral venous and arteriolar vasculature to increase blood pressure. This medication has been used off-label by some clinicians in the hypotensive HFrEF population to increase blood pressure and has been reported to have beneficial effects in improving GDMT utilization as well as increasing left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in published case reports/case series. There does not exist any randomized prospective data on the use of midodrine in the hypotensive HFrEF population. The investigators' objective is to complete the first open-label, randomized control trial of midodrine in the hypotensive HFrEF population to demonstrate feasibility in performing a trial in this patient population and to show efficacy in increasing blood pressure without associated harm. The results of this trial will be used as the foundation and rationale for future studies assessing the impact of midodrine use on GDMT utilization as well as hard cardiovascular outcomes in the hypotensive HFrEF population, including hospitalizations for heart failure and mortality.

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a common complication affecting heart transplant patients. This condition causes narrowing of the heart arteries leading to graft dysfunction. Surveillance for CAV is vital; however an ideal approach has not been established. The goal of this study is to assess whether noninvasive positron emission tomography (PET) based surveillance is non-inferior to invasive coronary angiography (ICA) surveillance.

Mitral regurgitation may be seen in the setting of cardiogenic shock. Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) has been shown to improve outcomes in patients with chronic heart failure. Observational studies suggest improvements in clinical outcomes in patients with mitral regurgitation in the setting of cardiogenic shock; however, there remains a lack of randomized clinical data to support the use of TEER in cardiogenic shock. This study will be a multicenter, open-label, randomized-controlled trial with two study arms: medical therapy and TEER. Patients admitted to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU), Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit (CSICU) or Intensive Care Units (ICU) at participating centers will be recruited. The study aims to answer the question: "Does TEER in patients with SCAI stage C or D cardiogenic with concomitant moderate or greater mitral regurgitation improve outcomes as compared to medical therapy?" The study hypothesis is that TEER will lead to an overall improvement in the composite outcome as compared to the medical therapy arm.

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy is a common complication affecting heart transplant patients. This condition causes narrowing of the heart arteries leading to graft dysfunction. The research team is investigating whether early antiplatelet therapy post heart transplant can prevent the development of CAV. This study will determine the feasibility of a large multicenter randomized placebo-controlled trial to answer this question.

The INITIATE Study is a randomized controlled trial that is testing an intervention designed to increase long-term abstinence among tobacco smokers seen in emergency departments (ED) and other high-volume hospital and community ambulatory care settings. The intervention includes a behavioural incentive and tailored follow-up support on long-term smoking abstinence, health, healthcare utilization, and cost. Tobacco-related illnesses cost the healthcare system millions each year. Quitting smoking improves smoking-related outcomes, like the onset or management of heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, and several cancers. There are approximately 16 million visits to Canadian EDs each year; an estimated 3-4 million of these involve smokers. Effective quit smoking interventions exist, but are underutilized. Few hospital EDs, community healthcare centers, and other inpatient and outpatient clinics in Canada offer tobacco-use interventions. In order for clinicians to offer quit smoking support, interventions need to be simple given the realities of these high-volume environments. Considering that stopping smoking improves health outcomes, that tobacco-use is an important cause of preventable ED use, and the volume of smokers, Canadian EDs and other high-volume hospital and community ambulatory care settings are a missed opportunity in the initiation of quit smoking support. Our intervention has been designed to optimize uptake and smoking abstinence by including the most effective evidence-based behavioural and drug-related approaches, removing specific barriers and challenges that smokers face when trying to quit (e.g., affordability, low confidence and motivation), while packaging the intervention in a quick-to-initiate manner, making it ideal for fast-paced, complex environments.

This is a multi-centre, single blind, randomized study. Patients admitted to hospital with acute decompensated heart failure will be randomized to biomarker guided discharge algorithm vs usual care in a 2:1 ratio. NTproBNP and other biomarkers will be measured within 24 hours of admission. The NTproBNP results will be used to further stratify participants randomized to the biomarker guided group into lower and medium to higher risk pathways. Biomarkers will be repeated after 2-3 days and again prior to discharge. Specific care pathways will be followed for each of the lower risk and medium-higher risk groups. Biomarkers will be repeated 30 days post discharge. Participants will be followed with a phone call at 3 months and return for a follow up visit at 6 months post discharge for outcome evaluation.

The investigators are interested in determining if there is a meaningful benefit from the use of medications purported to increase the pumping function of the heart (i.e. inotropes) among critically ill patients admitted to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU). To do this, the investigators will conduct a multi-centre, double blind, randomized control trial with patients who are deemed to require these medications by their treating physician to one of the two most commonly used agents in Canada (Milrinone or Dobutamine) or placebo. Each patient will be closely monitored by their healthcare team. The dose of medication will be adjusted according to each patients' clinical status. After 12 hours, the participants will move to open label treatment and any continued use of inotropes will be at the discretion of their treating physician.