Contemporary clinical trials
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Contemp Clin Trials · Mar 2016
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyLessons learned from a clinical trial: Design, rationale, and insights from The Cardiovascular Improvements with Minute Ventilation-targeted Adaptive Sero-Ventilation (ASV) Therapy in Heart Failure (CAT-HF) Study.
The CAT-HF Study was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of minute ventilation-targeted adaptive servo-ventilation (MV-ASV) during sleep in addition to optimized medical therapy (active therapy) versus optimized medical therapy alone (usual care) at 6 months, initiated in patients after hospitalization for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). This paper outlines the rationale, design and information learned at the time of study discontinuation. ⋯ The CAT-HF study was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of MV ASV treatment in patients after hospitalization for ADHF, but was stopped early due to safety concerns in HF patients with (LVEF)≤45% and predominant central sleep apnea.
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Contemp Clin Trials · Mar 2016
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyLung VITAL: Rationale, design, and baseline characteristics of an ancillary study evaluating the effects of vitamin D and/or marine omega-3 fatty acid supplements on acute exacerbations of chronic respiratory disease, asthma control, pneumonia and lung function in adults.
Laboratory and observational research studies suggest that vitamin D and marine omega-3 fatty acids may reduce risk for pneumonia, acute exacerbations of respiratory diseases including chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) or asthma, and decline of lung function, but prevention trials with adequate dosing, adequate power, and adequate time to follow-up are lacking. The ongoing Lung VITAL study is taking advantage of a large clinical trial-the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL)--to conduct the first major evaluation of the influences of vitamin D and marine omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on pneumonia risk, respiratory exacerbation episodes, asthma control and lung function in adults. VITAL is a 5-year U. ⋯ S. centers, lung function is measured before and two years after randomization. Yearly follow-up questionnaires assess incident pneumonia in the entire randomized population, and exacerbations of respiratory disease, asthma control and dyspnea in a subpopulation of 4314 randomized participants enriched, as shown in presentation of baseline characteristics, for respiratory disease, respiratory symptoms, and history of cigarette smoking. Self-reported pneumonia hospitalization will be confirmed by medical record review, and exacerbations will be confirmed by Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services data review.
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Contemp Clin Trials · Jan 2016
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyRandomized clinical trial of multimodal physiotherapy treatment compared to overnight lidocaine ointment in women with provoked vestibulodynia: Design and methods.
Provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a highly prevalent and debilitating condition yet its management relies mainly on non-empirically validated interventions. Among the many causes of PVD, there is growing evidence that pelvic floor muscle (PFM) dysfunctions play an important role in its pathophysiology. Multimodal physiotherapy, which addresses these dysfunctions, is judged by experts to be highly effective and is recommended as a first-line treatment. ⋯ Secondary measures include sexual function, pain quality, psychological factors (including pain catastrophizing, anxiety, depression and fear of pain), PFM morphology and function, and patients' global impression of change. Assessments are made at baseline, post-treatment and at the 6-month follow-up. This manuscript presents and discusses the rationale, design and methodology of the first RCT investigating physiotherapy in comparison to a commonly prescribed first-line treatment, overnight topical lidocaine, for women with PVD.
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Contemp Clin Trials · Jan 2016
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudySlowing the progression of age-related hearing loss: Rationale and study design of the ASPIRIN in HEARING, retinal vessels imaging and neurocognition in older generations (ASPREE-HEARING) trial.
Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is a leading cause of disability in the elderly. Low-grade inflammation and microvessel pathology may be responsible for initiating or exacerbating some of the hearing loss associated with aging. A growing body of evidence demonstrates an association of hearing loss with cognitive decline. A shared etiological pathway may include a role of inflammation, alongside vascular determinants. The ASPREE-HEARING study aims to determine whether low-dose aspirin decreases the progression of ARHL, and if so, whether this decrease in progression is also associated with retinal microvascular changes and/or greater preservation of cognitive function. ⋯ ASPREE-HEARING will determine whether aspirin slows development or progression of ARHL, and will interrogate the relationship between inflammatory and microvascular mechanisms that may underlie the effects of aspirin on ARHL. This study will improve understanding of the patterns of comorbidity with, and the relationships between, aging and ARHL, alongside modeling the impacts of ARHL.
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Contemp Clin Trials · Jul 2015
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyFAmily CEntered (FACE) advance care planning: Study design and methods for a patient-centered communication and decision-making intervention for patients with HIV/AIDS and their surrogate decision-makers.
Although the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) has become a chronic illness, disease-specific advance care planning has not yet been evaluated for the palliative care needs of adults with HIV/AIDS. This prospective, longitudinal, randomized, two-arm controlled clinical trial aims to test the efficacy of FAmily CEntered advance care planning among adults living with AIDS and/or HIV with co-morbidities on congruence in treatment preferences, healthcare utilization, and quality of life. The FAmily CEntered intervention arm is two face-to-face sessions with a trained, certified facilitator: Session 1) Disease-Specific Advance Care Planning Respecting Choices Interview; Session 2) Completion of advance directive. ⋯ We hypothesize that this intervention will enhance patient-centered communication with a surrogate decision-maker about end of life treatment preferences over time, enhance patient quality of life and decrease health care utilization. We further hypothesize that this intervention will decrease health disparities for Blacks in completion of advance directives. If proposed aims are achieved, the benefits of palliative care, particularly increased treatment preferences about end-of-life care and enhanced quality of life, will be extended to people living with AIDS.