Clinical trials

This study aims to examine the correlation between Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) FFR Computed Tomography (CT) and invasive FFR in a real-world setting using retrospective analysis of existing data, providing practical insights directly applicable to patient care. By confirming or examining the accuracy of FFR CT in a clinical setting, our analysis could support its broader adoption as a routine non-invasive diagnostic tool potentially (a) reducing the need for invasive testing (b) minimising associated risks, and(c) lowering healthcare costs and provide fresh insights into non-invasive coronary diagnostics. Our findings will also help understand the relevance of these tests across different ethnic groups and the population we serve.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs in the United Kingdom. Ethnic minorities like South Asians (SA) have a 3-5 times higher incidence of CVD as predicted by various risk scores despite similar or fewer traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Computed Tomography Coronary Angiography (CTCA) is able to outline the coronary anatomy determining the site, severity and type of atherosclerotic plaque location in the heart arteries. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommends CTCA as the first line investigation for stable chest pain considered to be coming from the heart (angina). However there is no pathway for the patients who are asymptomatic but at high risk of CVD, such as the SA cohort. Current practice involves using risk scores to guide management of asymptomatic adults. One recommended and commonly used score is the Q-risk score (the QRISK ® 3-2018 risk calculatorhttps://qrisk.org \> three). This score incorporates ethnicity amongst other risk factors and patients with a risk ≥10% of having a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years are offered primary prevention treatment with low dose statin therapy. For example, an average (height 164cm weight 70kg) 40 year old male of SA descent, without symptoms who is a non-smoker but with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) on tablet treatment scores 5.8% - this risk is not high enough to warrant treatment with a statin unless he also has abnormally raised cholesterol levels. But this patient is still high risk of CVD due to his ethnicity and DM. There is no current evidence to tailor treatment in such asymptomatic, high risk ethnic minorities. Similar to screening programs for cancer, screening CTCA, compared to risk stratification with the QRISK ® 3 score, may help in risk stratification of a higher proportion of SA patients. 50 asymptomatic SA patients from 2 sites (25 patients each site) with one CV risk factor will be randomised to either Q-risk 3 score or to screening CTCA.

A chronic total occlusion (CTO) is present in 15-20% of patients who are referred for invasive coronary angiography. CTO Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) procedure success rates have increased over the years and can be as high as 90% when performed by high-volume CTO operators.Procedurally, excess calcification in the CTO anatomy is one factor which makes it difficult to complete the procedure or obtain ideal stent expansion. Excess calcification is best identified by Computed Tomography Coronary Angiography (CTCA) rather than invasive angiography. The investigators plan to retrospectively evaluate CTCA in patients who underwent CTO PCI and correlate calcification characteristics with CTO PCI outcomes and tools utilised for calcium modification.

Chronic pain is a common long-term condition that can affect any area throughout the body. Individuals suffering with chronic pain often have associated fatigue, sleep and mood disturbances. Current treatments for chronic pain include a variety of both medicine-based approaches and non-medical approaches such as exercise and psychology treatments. Patients often take a combination of medications such as antidepressants and strong medications like morphine - which are not always effective, and often associated with several troublesome side effects. Despite physical activity being a common and helpful treatment, evidence shows that patients with chronic pain can find it difficult to engage for a variety of reasons. It would be helpful to see if other non-medication based approaches will be an acceptable treatment to those suffering with chronic pain. Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy describes a safe, non-invasive low-energy light therapy that has been successful in treating a variety of chronic pain conditions. Cells absorb light to produce a series of reactions that culminate in pain relief, reduced inflammation, and tissue repair. Most studies examining effects of PBM have consisted of a small hand-held probe focused on specific painful areas. There are a cohort of chronic pain conditions that encompass widespread throughout the back, neck and joints, such as fibromyalgia (FM). Whole-body PBM therapy is able to treat a large area of the body in a short space of time. The main purpose of the study is to determine feasibility, with a view to guiding a definitive Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT), in terms of: feasibility of eligibility criteria, recruitment rates, acceptability of trial device in the chronic pain population, and acceptability of outcome measures.