Clinical trials

The investigators will prospectively enroll 300 patients undergoing TAVI at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, which is the second largest TAVI hospital in Sweden. Eligible patients should have a clinical indication for aortic valve replacement with TAVI and have preprocedural clinical investigations with echocardiography (UCG) and CCT and provide written informed consent. UCG, electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood samples will be taken in addition to clinical status, NYHA-class and collection of outcome events the day before the procedure, 1±2 hours, 24 ±6hours and daily after the procedure until discharged from Sahlgrenska. Further follow-up will be scheduled day 14, 30, 180, 365 and yearly. Cardiac MRI will be performed before, at 14 days and at 180 days after TAVI. Brain MRI will be performed before and 24± hours after TAVI. Cardiac CT will be performed at 180 days after TAVI.

Intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS), a variant of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), is a well-documented treatment for depression. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an accelerated iTBS protocol (1W-AiTBS) in routine clinical practice. In the accelerated protocol, patients receive 600 pulses per session, for a total of 30 sessions administered over 5-14 treatment days. Patient inclusion will take place over a maximum period of 1.5 years, with a maximum sample size of 150 patients. The target sample size is at least 36 patients. Patients will complete self-rating questionnaires at screening, before and after treatment, and at 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 6 months from the first day of treatment.

The goal of this observational study with an embedded pilot clinical trial is to learn how the pelvic floor recovers after vaginal childbirth and whether early individualized pelvic floor muscle training can improve recovery in people who experience pelvic floor symptoms after vaginal delivery. The main questions it aims to answer are: * How do pelvic floor muscles and surrounding tissues change and recover during the first year after vaginal childbirth? * How are these structural changes and their recovery related to urinary, bowel, and vaginal symptoms? * In participants with pelvic floor symptoms after vaginal childbirth, does early individualized pelvic floor muscle training improve symptoms and support structural recovery compared with usual care? Researchers will compare participants who receive the early pelvic floor muscle training to those receiving standard postpartum care to see if the training helps improve pelvic floor function and reduce symptoms. Participants will: Attend clinic visits at six weeks, and six months after childbirth Complete questionnaires about urinary, bowel, and vaginal symptoms, as well as physical activity and quality of life at six weeks, and four, six months, and twelve months after childbirth Undergo clinical pelvic floor assessments, including vaginal palpation of muscle strength, tone, and perineal body stability Have ultrasound examinations of the pelvic floor to assess muscle structure, tissue integrity, and perineal body morphology For those in the pilot trial, participate in an early, individualized pelvic floor muscle training program This study will provide important information about how the pelvic floor heals after childbirth, how structural changes are linked to symptoms, and whether early personalized training can help prevent long-term problems.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an individualized lifestyle intervention works to improve weight, diet, physical activity, cardiovascular health, health-related quality of life, and cost-effectiveness in overweight and obese adults aged 45-65 years. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does the intervention lead to sustained weight loss after 18 months? Does the intervention improve cardiovascular risk factors, metabolic markers, and health-related quality of life compared to general written advice? Is the intervention cost-effective? Researchers will compare the individualized lifestyle intervention to a control group that receives general written advice on physical activity and diet to see if the intervention provides greater long-term health and economic benefits. Participants will: Attend counseling sessions with a health promoter Take part in supervised aerobic and resistance training with a physiotherapist Use swimming facilities and participate in the Lifestyle School Access a digital health coach and the online Lifestyle Tool Complete measurements of body weight, diet, physical activity, and cardiovascular health markers (waist-to-hip ratio, blood pressure, blood lipids, fasting glucose, HbA1c, CRP, and liver enzymes) Complete assessments of resting energy expenditure, aerobic fitness, muscle strength, motivation, and health-related quality of life Provide blood samples at baseline, 6 months, and 18 months for dietary biomarker analysis Contribute data for health economic evaluation to assess cost-effectiveness

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a common chronic disease that is characterized by persistent airflow limitation, that is due to airway and/or alveolar abnormalities usually caused by significant exposure to noxious particles or gases, particularly cigarette smoking. Latest updates of the Global Burden of Disease emphasize the dramatic size of the problem. In 2015, 3,2 million people died from COPD worldwide, an increase of 11,6% compared with 1990. The overall prevalence of COPD increased by 44,2% and was associated with a significant increase of disability-adjusted life years. In Sweden the prevalence of COPD is approximately 8% bringing the annual total estimated cost for society of 9.1 billion SEK. About 1/3 of patients with COPD undergo periods of acute worsening of respiratory symptoms, particularly dyspnea. Acute worsening of respiratory symptoms is associated with increased in-hospital mortality (up to 20%), short term- (up to 60% at 1 year) and long-term mortality (\> 50% at 5 years) and high risk of re-hospitalization. Because patients with COPD often suffer concomitant disorders that significantly worsen their health status and vital prognosis, the management of the patients is not only the management of COPD but must include identification and treatment of other concomitant chronic diseases. Accurate diagnosis, assessment of severity, and long-term interdisciplinary management of both COPD and concomitant chronic diseases in patients with COPD could be associated with a decreased number of hospitalizations and deaths, improved quality of life and decreased health care utilization in the following 3 years. This longitudinal study will evaluate the effectiveness of detailed phenotyping and comprehensive multidisciplinary management of COPD and multimorbidity in patients. This is a prospective, open label, cohort study using design of intervention and registries data. The anticipated study time is 5 years, with 3 years of intervention (including 2 years of recruitment period) and 1-year data collection from the National Registries. The study will compare number of rehospitalizations from all causes of patient recruited after a hospitalization due to acute exacerbations of COPD to control patients included from the Swedish Airway Register (SAR). The selection of the control population within the SAR is based on risk score matching. At the first visit a thorough individual's assessment will be performed. The assessment includes information about demographics, COPD and exacerbations, medical history, comorbidities, vital parameters, blood and sputum tests and assessment of quality of life. Based on the outcome from the assessment and disease phenotype, personalized care plans will be prepared and given to the patients, including dietary program, adjusted exercise program, psychological counselling, treatment of comorbidities etc. Patients will come for planned follow-up visits, according to the protocol. The last visit will take place at 5th year after the study start. The "end of study" is defined as last visit of the last subject or if the effectiveness of the intervention is shown before. Data collected at eCRFs will be combined with the data from SAR and complemented with data from Swedish National Registries.

Fabry disease is a rare, inherited condition that can affect multiple organs, including the heart, kidneys, and nervous system. Many people with Fabry disease live for a period of time without receiving disease-specific treatment, for example because treatment criteria have not yet been met. There is limited knowledge about how patients experience this period without treatment. The purpose of this study is to improve understanding of how adults with Fabry disease who are not yet receiving disease-specific treatment experience their quality of life, their daily lives, and their contacts with health care services. This is a national interview study in which participants will take part in one individual digital interview lasting approximately 45-60 minutes. During the interview, participants will be invited to describe their experiences in their own words, including symptoms, how the disease affects everyday life, psychological and emotional well-being, and experiences of follow-up and support from health care providers. Participants will also complete a short questionnaire with basic background information, such as age, education, and living situation. By collecting and analyzing patients' own narratives, the study aims to identify needs, challenges, and support resources during the period without treatment. The results are expected to contribute to increased knowledge and to the development of more person-centered care for individuals living with Fabry disease.

A randomized, international, phase III, multi-center, non- inferiority trial assessing the safety and efficacy of Magtrace® (superparamagnetic iron oxide, SPIO) in identification of lymph nodes in patients with cutaneous melanoma undergoing a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). Participants will be injected with both tracer methods Technetium (Tc99) plus Blue Dye (BD) and Magtrace®). They will undergo both a lymphoscintigraphy and a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the SLN basins. Before surgery, the participants will be randomly assigned on a 1:1 basis to either start the SLNB procedure using Tc99/BD and gamma-probe followed by Magtrace® and magnetic probe, or SLNB using Magtrace® followed by Tc99/BD. Randomization will be stratified by study site using permuted variable block sizes.

The goal of this observational study is to evaluate different methods of surfactant administration in preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Preterm infants often have immature lungs and a deficiency of surfactant, a substance that helps keep the lungs open and supports oxygen exchange.Surfactant can be delivered to the lungs using different techniques, including INSURE (brief intubation), LISA (via a thin catheter), SALSA (via a laryngeal mask airway), and traditional administration via endotracheal intubation followed by mechanical ventilation. The main question this study aims to answer is:Which method of surfactant administration is associated with better clinical outcomes in preterm infants with RDS?The study will prospectively collect clinical data on infants receiving surfactant as part of standard care, with long-term follow-up using data from the Swedish Neonatal Quality Register. The results are intended to be used to inform the design of a future randomized multicenter study.

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common vasculitis in the elderly and is usually treated with long-term corticosteroid therapy. Many patients experience relapses and treatment-related side effects. Current diagnostic and monitoring methods provide limited prognostic information and cannot reliably distinguish active from inactive disease during relapse. This project addresses the clinical need for improved tools to identify patients at high risk of relapse and to develop more effective methods for disease monitoring. The aim is to develop new tools that enable more personalized treatment of GCA. By combining vascular ultrasound with novel blood biomarkers, we seek to predict disease course and relapse risk. The specific objectives are: * To identify ultrasound and blood biomarkers that can predict long-term disease control. * To determine which ultrasound parameters and blood biomarkers can distinguish active from inactive disease during treatment. * To evaluate whether extended vascular ultrasound protocols can improve diagnostic accuracy. The ultimate goal is to establish safe, practical tools for improved diagnosis and follow-up in patients with GCA.

This is a 2:1 randomized multicentre open label phase III study of radiation combined with standard systemic treatment compared with systemic treatment alone in oligometastatic (≤5 metastases) NSCLC. Stratification factors: performance status, gender and systemic strategy. The systemic treatment consists of chemotherapy/chemoimmunotherapy or immunotherapy and is given according to local practice. During the first 3 months of systemic treatment, aiming to start around the 2nd cycle is radiotherapy delivered to all known lesions. Preferably with SBRT /SRT/SRS but conventional radiotherapy may also be used. After the first three cycles of systemic treatment, the patients are assessed, and after four cycles, they are continuing maintenance therapy if indicated. The patients are followed with radiology every three months.

Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is notoriously difficult to treat, with current therapies often extending life by only a few months. The standard treatment involves surgery followed by radiation and chemotherapy with Temozolomide (TMZ). The efficacy of TMZ, however, is significantly enhanced when the tumor's o6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) gene is methylated. Recent studies, such as the NOA-09 trial, have suggested that adding Lomustine (LOM) to TMZ could improve outcomes for patients with this specific tumor profile. Hypothesis: The investigators hypothesize that the addition of LOM to the TMZ regimen will lead to significantly improved survival rates among patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma who have a methylated MGMT promoter compared to those receiving only TMZ. Treatment Plans: The study will randomly assign participants to two groups: * Control Group: Standard treatment with TMZ during and after radiation therapy. * Experimental Group: TMZ combined with LOM, starting on the first day of radiation therapy. Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measure will be survival. Other outcomes will include progression-free survival (time from randomization until tumor progression or death), safety profiles (adverse effects of the treatments), and quality of life measures as well as neurocognitive outcomes.

This study evaluates whether mesorectal chemoradiotherapy with a limited radiation target volume can achieve a sustained clinical complete response in patients with early-stage rectal cancer, allowing surgery to be safely deferred. Patients may choose between standard total mesorectal excision (TME) surgery or organ preservation with chemoradiotherapy followed by structured surveillance. The study aims to assess oncologic safety, organ preservation rates, and quality of life.

This project aims to investigate if an organisational change of patient flow away from medical practitioners can reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing in patients attending with a sore throat as the main complaint.

This observational study aims to examine outcomes of home-based acute care delivered by a mobile healthcare team in persons aged 75 years and older following an episode of acute illness. The study will assess whether home-based acute care initiated by the emergency medical dispatch centre or ambulance services is non-inferior to emergency department care with regard to care needs and mortality.

Magnetic tracer injected before preoperative chemotherapy in breast cancer patients for sentinel lymph node detection. Also, magnetic tracer in combination with magnetic clip for index node identification.

This multinational European observational clinical study focuses on non-progressive congenital ataxia (NPCA), a very rare early-onset neurological condition also within the cerebral palsy (CP) concept as ataxic CP. The study aims to improve the diagnosis and care of affected children through a comprehensive approach that integrates detailed clinical assessments, brain imaging analyses, and advanced genetic testing. By identifying developmental trajectories, specific impairment profiles, brain MRI patterns, and genetic variants, the researchers aim to elucidate underlying mechanisms, origins and clinical heterogeneity of NPCA. The study also assesses the broader impact of the condition on the quality of life of affected children and the associated burden on their families. Preliminary data found a high prevalence of cognitive and neuropsychiatric impairments, and a frequent lack of identifiable brain lesions on MRI, raising the hypothesis of a strong genetic contribution.

Background Approximately 15% of children have a Class II malocclusion, where the maxilla is positioned anterior to the mandible, and around 90% of these children also present with an increased overjet. Increased overjet is associated with a higher risk of dental trauma and psychosocial consequences such as bullying and reduced oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Functional orthodontic appliances (e.g., headgear-activator and Twin-block) have long been used to reduce overjet through dentoalveolar effects and by influencing mandibular position and growth. More recently, digital solutions such as Invisalign's mandibular advancement appliance have been introduced, with potential advantages including improved wear time and simultaneous tooth alignment. However, there is currently limited evidence regarding treatment outcomes, patient experience, and cost-effectiveness of these newer appliances compared with established functional appliances. Aim The primary aim is to compare treatment outcomes, patient experience, and cost-effectiveness of interceptive orthodontic treatment using three different appliances. The overall aim is to determine whether interceptive treatment of Class II malocclusion with large overjet is effective, and if so, which interceptive modality should be preferred. Study design and setting A total of 144 patients aged 9-13 years with Class II malocclusion and large overjet will be randomized into four groups: * Headgear-activator * Twin-block * Aligner Mandibular advancement * Control Participants will be treated at four Orthodontic Specialist Clinics within the National Health Service in Region Halland and Västra Götaland, Sweden. Treatments will be provided by two experienced orthodontic specialists. Follow-up and data collection Clinical examinations will be performed at: * Baseline (T0) * 9 months into treatment (T1) * End of treatment (T2) Appliance checks will occur every 8 weeks. Digital scans of the occlusion will be collected at T0, T1, and T2. Lateral cephalometric radiographs will be taken at T0 and T2. Outcomes and planned analyses The trial will generate three studies with distinct outcomes: 1. Treatment outcomes Primary outcome: dental treatment effectiveness measured as overjet reduction. Secondary outcomes: other dental variables, skeletal outcomes, and extraoral outcomes. 2. Patient-reported outcomes All treated patients will complete two digital questionnaires: * Child Perception Questionnaire (CPQ): assesses the child's perception of their teeth before and after treatment. * Orthodontic Treatment Impact Questionnaire (OTIQ): assesses the child's experience of orthodontic treatment and the appliance. These outcomes will be used to evaluate changes in OHRQoL from pre- to post-treatment and to compare experiences across treatment modalities. 3. Cost-effectiveness analysis The economic evaluation will include direct, indirect, and societal costs. Treatment duration, number and length of appointments, and cancellations/no-shows will be recorded. * Direct costs: premises, staff salaries, materials, and laboratory costs. * Indirect costs: parental loss of income due to absence from work. * Societal costs: direct + indirect costs. Costs will be related to treatment outcomes to estimate cost-effectiveness across the treatment arms. Additional comparison: early vs late treatment Furthermore, after completing 18 months the control group, and half of the functional appliance patients will receive treatment with fixed appliances. This enables an additional comparison of early interceptive treatment versus later treatment using the same outcomes: treatment effectiveness, patient-reported outcomes, and cost-effectiveness.

The aim is to evaluate the test-retest reliability of the primary care-adapted Ekblom-Bak submaximal ergometer bicycle test in patients with hip- and/or knee osteoarthritis (OA). Forty patients with hip- and/or knee OA eligible for the Swedish national OA treatment program in primary care are to be recruited. After screening for contraindications, participants will perform the aEB-test twice within 1-2 weeks. The investigators hypothezise that the test will demonstrate acceptable test-retest reliability in patients with hip- and/or knee OA. To establish reliability is essential for future studies using this test in this population and may support its integration into routine clinical assessment.

Survivors of childhood cancer have a substantially increased risk of long-term health problems in adulthood, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, psychological morbidity, and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL). These risks are partly related to cancer treatment exposures but are also strongly influenced by modifiable lifestyle factors such as physical activity, diet, body weight, and cardiometabolic risk factors. Although healthy lifestyle behaviors are known to reduce morbidity and mortality in this population, many adult childhood cancer survivors do not meet current lifestyle recommendations and rarely receive structured, tailored support to change health behaviors. The Behavioral Reinforcement Intervention for Greater Health Trajectories (BRIGHT) study aims to evaluate whether a person-centered, remotely delivered lifestyle intervention can improve health-related quality of life and key health markers in adult survivors of childhood cancer with an unhealthy lifestyle. The intervention focuses on increasing physical activity and improving dietary habits through structured video-based coaching delivered by trained health promoters over a 26-week period. BRIGHT is conducted within NOPHO-CARE Sweden, a national population-based cohort of childhood cancer survivors, and uses a register-based randomized controlled design with two randomization steps. First, eligible participants are randomized to be offered the intervention or not, enabling evaluation of the population-level effect of offering the intervention through long-term register-based follow-up. Second, participants who consent to active participation are randomized to immediate or delayed start of the intervention, allowing controlled assessment of short-term intervention effects. The primary research question is whether the BRIGHT lifestyle intervention leads to a clinically meaningful improvement in health-related quality of life, measured by the PROPr utility index derived from PROMIS-29, compared with a control period. Secondary questions address whether the intervention improves physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, diet quality, body weight, blood pressure, and cardiometabolic and biological markers, including epigenetic age acceleration. The study also examines feasibility, adherence, and scalability of delivering a person-centered lifestyle intervention within a national survivorship follow-up structure. In addition, BRIGHT investigates whether offering the intervention to the full eligible population leads to long-term reductions in cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, psychiatric morbidity, and mortality, using national health registers. By combining individual-level efficacy and population-level effectiveness within a single study framework, BRIGHT aims to generate robust evidence to inform future preventive care and long-term follow-up strategies for adult survivors of childhood cancer.

The goal of this randomised controlled trial is to evaluate the effects of a 12-week intervention comprising high-intensity interval aerobic training and strength training on cardiovascular function, metabolic health profile and inflammation in patients with Psoriatic arthritis. A secondary goal is to assess the intervention´s impact on physical fitness, pain, fatigue, and health-related quality of life, and to explore long-term maintenance of exercise following completion of the intervention. We hypothesize that 12 weeks of combined high-intensity interval aerobic training and strength training will improve cardiometabolic health, inflammation, and enhance physical fitness, fatigue, pain and quality of life in Psoriatic arthritis.

A phase II double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial. Patients with a clinical suspicion of a thick primary melanoma without clinical suspicion or evidence of lymph-node engagement will undergo a 3 mm punch biopsy to verify the diagnosis and ascertain eligibility. Patients will receive 1 cycle of pembrolizumab 400 mg or placebo and 4 weeks later undergo a wide local excision and sentinel lymph node biopsy according to the national guideline recommendations . The primary objective is to evaluate the pathological response of one cycle of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab in patients with biopsy-proven stage IIb/c melanoma. Secondary objectives include efficacy and safety analysis, as well as biomarker discovery.

Urethral strictures are often initially treated endoscopically with dilatation or direct visual internal urethrotomy (DVIU), a procedure where the stricture is incised through the vision of a cystoscope. These methods are easy to perform, they are often well tolerated under local anesthesia and they have a low risk of complications. One disadvantage is the relatively low success rate which is 20-60% when used as a first intervention and considerably lower after several interventions. Instead of repeated endoscopic procedures, it is advisable to perform open urethroplasty. Urethroplasty has a success rate of 65-91% but a higher risk of complications and requires general anesthesia. Therefore, there is a need for a treatment option for recurrent urethral strictures after DVIU or dilatation, before the urethroplasty is performed. Optilume is a CE-marked paclitaxel-coated dilatation balloon used for treatment of urethral strictures. The industry-sponsored randomised ROBUST III trial from 2022 showed a 75% success rate with Optilume but it is not sure if the results can be generalised to patients who would otherwise be candidates for open urethroplasty and whether the drug coating per se increases the efficacy of balloon dilatation. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the addition of paclitaxel-coating can increase the success rate and decrease the need for additional interventions and open urethroplasty for individuals who has a recurrent urethral stricture following at least one previous endoscopic intervention.

Lymphedema of the extremities is common after lymph node surgery in treating several forms of cancer, e.g., breast cancer. However, very little is known of the occurrence of lymphedema of the lower extremities after urologic surgery with lymph node dissection. This project aims to describe the frequency and grade of lymphedema arising after urologic surgery, using the Lymphedema Quality of Life Questionnaire (LymQOL), Delfin MoistureMeter D, and lower limb volume measurements.

The primary aim of this clinical trial is to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of the Nordic Crohn's Disease Exclusion Diet (Nordic CDED) in children with Crohn's disease, measured by remission rates, and to compare these outcomes with those reported for the original CDED in similar pediatric populations and study designs. The secondary objectives are to assess whether the Nordic CDED can facilitate greater individualization of the diet, improve treatment adherence, and enhance quality of life. The study seeks to answer the following key questions: * Does the Nordic CDED achieve the same clinical effectiveness as the original CDED? * Does the Nordic CDED improve adherence and quality of life in children with Crohn's disease? To address these questions, researchers will compare outcomes from children following the Nordic CDED with published results from similar studies of the original CDED, as well as with patients who were not treated with a dietary intervention. Participant Involvement: * Follow the Nordic CDED for 20 weeks. * Attend clinic visits at weeks 2, 8, 14, 20, and 24 for checkups and tests. * Report adherence to the diet through food records. * Report quality of life at the beginning and end of the study

Invasive pressure monitoring (arterial blood pressure via arterial catheter and central venous pressure via central venous catheter) is fundamental to clinical decision-making in intensive care. Treatment with vasopressors, fluids, and nursing interventions depends on accurate measurements. Because pressure transducers are hydrostatic, even small levelling errors can produce clinically relevant deviations (approximately 1 mmHg per 1.3 cm of vertical misplacement). Such errors may contribute to inappropriate therapy, for example under-recognition of hypotension, unnecessary vasopressor escalation, or missed venous congestion. This prospective, multicenter, blinded observational study will quantify transducer levelling deviations during routine ICU care and evaluate whether clinically relevant deviations are associated with treatment decisions. Adult mechanically ventilated ICU patients with an arterial catheter, a central venous catheter, and ongoing vasopressor therapy will be included at hospitals in Västra Götalandsregionen, Sweden. Two blinded reference lines/sensors will be placed at predefined physiological zero levels for MAP and CVP and connected in parallel to the patient monitoring system. Continuous deviation (mmHg) between the clinical transducer position and the blinded reference level will be recorded for 8 hours while clinical staff remain unaware of the reference setup. MAP/CVP-related treatment decisions (e.g., vasopressor adjustments, fluid therapy, and nursing interventions) will be recorded with timestamps. The study will provide real-world data on the magnitude and frequency of invasive pressure transducer misalignment in daily ICU practice and its potential relationship to patient management.