Vascular Disease

ORION-4 is a research study coordinated by the University of Oxford and co-sponsored by The University of Oxford and Novartis (Protocol: CTSU_MDCO-PCS-17-01 (CKJX839B12301)). The study aims to find out if a new cholesterol-lowering injection (inclisiran) safely lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes in people who have already had one of these conditions, or who have had an operation or procedure to treat blocked arteries.

This study will assess the effect of lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) with evolocumab on major cardiovascular events in adults without a prior myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke who are at high risk of a cardiovascular event.

This study will use dual energy x-ray computed tomography (DECT) to evaluate the relationship between heterogeneous perfusion, hypoxia (low oxygen in inspired gas) and induction of pulmonary vascular dilatation to characterize emphysema susceptibility in a normal smoking population. The investigators will correlate DECT measures of perfusion with lung injury measured by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). The investigators will study the effect of pulmonary arterial vasodilation to see if it eliminates indices of persistent lung injury in smokers that are susceptible to emphysema

The investigators will study the effect of pulmonary arterial vasodilation to see if it eliminates indices of persistent lung injury in smokers that are susceptible to emphysema.

The purpose of the study is to test the effects of blocking sympathetic nerve activity with a drug called clonidine on blood vessel function and muscle nerve activity in adults who are obese and have high blood pressure. The cohort of subjects will consist of 69 healthy young men and women age 18-79 years who are obese, defined as a body mass index > or = to 30 kg/m2, who have untreated systolic hypertension (systolic blood pressure > or = to 130 - <180 mmHg- average of at least 3 measurements 2 min apart after 10 min seated resting position). These 69 subjects will then be randomized to 3 treatment arms: clonidine (0.1 mg/day), hydrochlorothiazide (25 mg/day) or placebo for 4 weeks in years 1 and 2. All tablets will be encapsulated by to look identical. Subjects will randomly (1:1:1) receive one of the following combinations in a double-blind, placebo-controlled design: 1. Oral clonidine (0.1 mg twice/day) 2. Oral hydrochlorothiazide (12.5 mg twice/day) 3. Oral placebo I

This study investigates the effect of dietary inorganic nitrate supplementation on 1) large elastic artery stiffness and hemodynamics and 2) cerebrovascular function in middle-aged and older adults. Participants will be randomized to consume either nitrate-containing or nitrate-depleted beetroot juice.

The proposed research is clinical study evaluating the therapeutic benefits of curcumin on vascular function in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The study aims to establish that curcumin will improve endothelial function and reduce large artery stiffness by reducing oxidative stress and in conjunction with lowering markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. In addition, the study will evaluate the potential benefit of curcumin on cognitive function in patients with CKD.