Leading-edge research is happening right here in South Jersey. Members of the heart team at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center take an active part in current research designed to identify patients at risk and give you access to new cardiac devices, drugs and procedures. Here are just a few studies going on now at ARMC:
CAPTURE 2
Carotid stenting is a newer procedure designed to decrease risk of stroke in people whose arteries leading to their brains are partly blocked. This study (Carotid ACCULINK/ACCUNET Post Approval Trial to Uncover Rare Events) tracks patients who are at risk of stroke from clogged carotid arteries (which run from the neck through the head). These patients have stents – tiny mesh scaffolds that hold blood vessels open – implanted in their carotid arteries to improve blood flow. A key objective of the study is to gather data that will allow Medicare to extend coverage of this procedure to a broader group of patients. CAPTURE 2 will include up to 10,000 patients at 400 healthcare centers in the U.S. The study is sponsored by Guidant.
For more information, call the Research Department at 609-404-7654.
IMPROVE-IT Trial
This study (Improved Reduction of Outcomes: VYTORIN Efficacy International Trial) compares the effectiveness of two drugs in treating patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). ACS is caused by plaque buildup inside blood vessels. These plaques can detach from blood vessel walls and form clots that block blood flow in arteries leading to or from the heart – causing a heart attack.
An important part of treating ACS is preventing the progress of plaque formation. In this trial, investigators hope to lower patients’ LDL or “bad” cholesterol using one of two drugs: VYTORIN (ezetimibe/simvastatin) versus Zocor® (simvastatin). Previous studies have shown that lowering “bad” cholesterol can reduce the risk of heart attacks. IMPROVE-IT will follow some 10,000 high-risk patients throughout North America and Europe for two years. The study is sponsored by Merck/Schering-Plough.
For more information, call the Research Department at 609-404-7654.
Amplatzer® PFO Occluder
Trained specialists at ARMC offer access to a special device that closes holes in the heart – specifically for patients who have suffered strokes resulting from patent foramen ovale (PFO) and for whom other therapies did not work. PFO is a condition in which the heart doesn’t close entirely after birth, causing blood and gases to leak out. PFO is sometimes diagnosed when someone has a stroke with no other identifiable cause. Debilitating strokes can continue to occur unless the hole in the heart is closed. Some patients with PFO respond to drug treatment, but there are few options for those who don’t.
AGA Medical’s Amplatzer® PFO Occluder is approved by the FDA as a humanitarian device, to give people who previously had no hope another chance at life. The occluder is self-expanding wire mesh duo of discs which are placed the heart via catheter.
For more information, call the Research Department at 609-404-7654.
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