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553 active trials for Atrial Fibrillation

Fibrosis, Inflammation and Brain Health in Atrial Fibrillation.

Protocol synopsis Sponsor: Oslo University Hospital Title: Fibrosis, inflammation and cerebral infarction in patients with atrial fibrillation Study Design: The study is an observational prospective study of atrial fibrillation patients undergoing direct-current cardioversion. Primary Objective: To assess the prevalence and causes of new silent cerebral ischemic lesions after programmed direct-current cardioversion using diffusion-weighted sequences in brain MRI (DWMRI). Secondary Objectives: To study the impact of inflammation measured by biomarkers and cardiac 18F-FDG-PET on the risk for new silent cerebral ischemic lesions after direct-current cardioversion for AF. To assess the impact of fibrosis measured by biomarkers on the risk for new silent cerebral ischemic lesions after direct-current cardioversion for AF. To assess cognitive and cerebral structural and metabolic changes after direct-current cardioversion for AF using cognitive assessments and cerebral and cardiac 18F-FDG-PET before and 12 months after treatment. Number of Subjects: 50 Study Centers: Østfold Hospital Trust Duration of Study Participation: Enrollment: 18 months Follow-up period: 12 months Total Study Duration: 30 months Primary Endpoints: • Number of new small cerebral infarcts detected with DWMRI two weeks after direct current cardioversion. Secondary Endpoints: Rate of AF recurrence within 1 year after direct current cardioversion Change in levels of inflammation biomarkersfrom baseline to 12 months follow-up Change in levels of fibrosis biomarkers from baseline to 12 months follow-up Cognitive function at 12 months follow-up Changes in uptake pattern on cerebral 18F-FDG-PET from baseline to 12 months follow-up Changes in uptake pattern on cardiac 18F-FDG-PET from baseline to 12 months follow-up Brain volume at 12 months follow-up White matter volume 12 months follow-up Grey matter volume 12 months follow-up Cortical volume 12 months follow-up RSI-derived diffusion parameters 12 months follow-up: fast apparent diffusion coefficient, extracellular water fraction, fractional anisotropy; free water fraction; intracranial volume; NAWM: normal appearing white matter; neurite density; RSI: restriction spectrum imaging; sADC: slow apparent diffusion coefficient;restricted fractional anisotropy; white matter lesions.

Start: March 2018
AF Burden and Echo-guided Persistent AF Ablation Strategy Using Either PV Isolation Alone (CLOSE Protocol) or Optimized Compartmentalization of the Left Atrium (Pseudo-maze Technique)

Recent publications suggest that neither empirical nor individualized substrate modification strategies could improve single-procedure efficacy beyond pulmonary vein (PV) isolation for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). However, persistent AF represent a broad spectrum of the same disease and if PV isolation may be sufficient for some patient with self-terminated AF or with a small left atrium, a more extended substrate ablation may be required for other patients, for which a second procedure for atrial tachycardia (AT) recurrence is then frequently needed. In addition, a lot of progress has recently been made in the field of ablation techniques using contiguous and optimized ablation radiofrequency (RF) lesions and also for AT mapping with promising results using repetitive but discontinuous Holter monitoring. This trial aims at To objectively compare atrial tachyarrhythmia (ATA) burden > 2 months before ablation and after one or two 'CLOSEMAZE'-guided ablation(s) using continuous monitoring and echo data as a guide for the ablation strategy during the first ablation. To assess ATA burden using continuous monitoring up to 3 years after ablation. To identify baseline structural and electrical properties of the atria or procedural characteristics that predict 1-year and 3-year outcome.

Start: October 2018
Validation of a Novel Smartphone-based Method for Heart Rhythm Monitoring in the Home Environment

Atrial fibrillation is a heart rhythm disorder with increased risk of stroke, heart failure, dementia and death. The severity of symptoms in atrial fibrillation varies markedly, ranging from no symptoms to those with disabling symptoms. An ECG recording is currently mandatory for diagnosing atrial fibrillation. A portable method for heart rhythm diagnostics that is readily available is currently missing in clinical practice. If a standard smartphone could be used for heart rhythm diagnostics, the availability could improve greatly. Treatment with direct current cardioversion is a procedure in which the heart rhythm is normalized by an electrical shock through the chest. Patients with atrial fibrillation are in some cases recommended treatment with direct current cardioversion but the procedure is costly, has a high recurrence rate and includes an increased risk for stroke. In this study we will validate the use of a novel smartphone-based method for heart rhythm diagnostics when used by patients in their home environment. The novel method is using the smartphone camera as a sensor. Patients will be doing heart rhythm measurements with the novel smartphone-based method in their home environment for 30 days after successfully receiving treatment of atrial fibrillation with direct current cardioversion. The novel smartphone-based method will be validated against simultaneous recordings with mobile ECG. We will also study the feasibility in using smartphone recordings and mobile ECG in the home environment the weeks before receiving treatment with direct current cardioversion, to study the possible benefit of detecting spontaneous conversions to normal heart rhythm and missed doses of treatment with blood thinning medication, both of which will lead to cancellation or detention of the cardioversion procedure.

Start: November 2018
COmparison of Bleeding Risk Between Rivaroxaban and Apixaban in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) affects 200,000 Canadians and increases risk of stroke, morbidity and mortality. Having a stroke can affect a patient's ability to speak, eat, walk, work, care for themselves, and interact with others. Not only can it ruin one's life, but it can also be fatal. A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked by a clot, depriving brain cells of oxygen. In people with atrial fibrillation, blood flow is sluggish in the top chambers of the heart, and blood clots can form there. When a piece of a clot breaks off, it can travel to the brain and cause a stroke. That's where blood thinners come in. Blood thinners, or anticoagulants, decrease the chances of blood clots forming in the heart, reducing the risk of stroke. Studies show that blood thinners are highly effective at reducing the risk of stroke by up to 95%. The conventional blood thinner is warfarin, taken by mouth. Warfarin requires regular blood tests to make sure a patient getting the correct dose. The patient also may have to avoid certain foods since the medication can interact with them. Newer blood thinners, known as direct-oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are available, which do not require regular blood tests and do not interact with foods. Two of the new blood thinners are called rivaroxaban and apixaban. Like warfarin, they can be taken by mouth, and studies have shown them to be as effective as warfarin. Both rivaroxaban and apixaban have been approved for stroke prevention in AF by Health Canada. However, there have been no direct head-to-head comparisons of these two anticoagulants, meaning comparative safety data is not available. Increasing use of DOACs for stroke prevention in AF and patient values around bleeding highlight the need for a comparison trial to ensure patients receive the anticoagulant with the greatest balance of benefit to potential harm. The trial is to assess bleeding rates and superiority of using apixaban versus rivaroxaban in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

Start: March 2021
PREvention of STroke in Intracerebral haemorrhaGE Survivors With Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common form of irregular heart rhythm. In people with AF, blood clots often form in the heart, which can travel to the brain. Blockage of brain arteries by these clots is a major cause of stroke. This type of stroke is called an ischaemic stroke and approximately 15% of all ischaemic strokes are caused by AF. People with AF are often prescribed a medication called an anticoagulant, which makes it less likely for blood clots to form and thus can prevent ischaemic strokes. However, anticoagulants also increase the risk of bleeding, so they are not suitable for everyone. Some people who have AF have had a different type of stroke which is caused by bleeding in the brain, an intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH). These people are at increased risk of suffering both an ischaemic stroke (due to AF) and another ICH. It is not known whether it is best for these people to take an anticoagulant medication or not, as previous research studies did not include this group of people. PREvention of STroke in Intracerebral haemorrhaGE survivors with Atrial Fibrillation (PRESTIGE-AF) is a research study on the best stroke prevention in people with atrial fibrillation (AF) who have recently had a bleeding in their brain, (ICH). This is a trial where half of the participants will take an anticoagulant medication, preventing blood clot formation, and half will not receive an anticoagulant. The direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) that will be used in this trial are all licenced for use in the United Kingdom and within the European Union (EU) to prevent strokes in people with AF. However, the current licence does not extend to use with people who have had an ICH because it has not been tested in this group with a randomised controlled trial. DOACs will be tested in ICH survivors with AF because previous research trials have shown that people are up to 50% less likely to have bleeding complications in the brain with DOACs than with Warfarin (another commonly used anticoagulant). The aim of PRESTIGE-AF is to answer the question of whether people with ICH and AF should take an anticoagulant medication or if it is better for them to avoid it.

Start: June 2019
"De Novo" Atrial Fibrillation in Patients With Heart Failure: Incidence; Predictors and Relevance.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) represents a problem of great implications to patients with heart failure (HF). Therefore, the risk of having AF increases up to 4,5 -5,9 times with the presence of HF. Both conditions share risk factors and the presence of the one worsens the progress of the other. Therefore, the AF is not only relevant in terms of thromboembolic events. Timing of AF progression seems to be associated with an increase in all causes of mortality. Although, it is estimated that between 30%-40% of the patients with HF develop AF, given that in many cases it occurs with no apparent symptoms for the patients, is considered that the number of affected patients is greater. Since silent AF poses a problem of great impact in patients with HF, monitoring through continuous electrocardiographic registry could be useful in those patients with a higher risk of thromboembolic events. The purpose of this study is to understand the mechanism and biological and clinical relevance of the AF from a holistic approach. Trying to distinguish the symptomatic AF from the silent one using the implementation of insertable cardiac devices. The purpose of this study is 1. To determine in which percentage of patients with HF, episodes of AF both symptomatic and asymptomatic occur, as well as if the presence of AF represents an irrelevant fact in the progression of the insufficiency or in the contrary, it is the cause of the HF patients clinical decline. 2. To examine the presence of triggers of AF in patients with HF and to identify the presence of clinical markers, image markers of the atrium and left ventricle, as well as biomarkers which allow the risk of stratification and could mean future therapeutic targets.

Start: October 2019