Diseases of the heart and circulation are known as cardiovascular diseases, and they cause over 160,000 deaths each year. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most common cardiovascular disease. This is due to a build-up of fatty material, known as atherosclerosis, in the blood vessels supplying blood to the heart muscle. This can cause chest pain or if blocked, can cause a heart attack. Two of the main non-invasive tests to look for coronary heart disease are Computed Tomography Coronary Angiography (CTCA) and Stress Echocardiography (Ultrasound scan). CTCA shows the arteries and allows small amounts of disease to be seen that may not yet be causing any symptoms. However, if there's lots of disease and calcification, it becomes difficult to tell how severe it is, which means several tests may be needed. Stress Echocardiography shows if enough blood is reaching the heart muscle, so can show if there is severe disease that needs treatment. However, it can't see the arteries so doesn't showt small disease that may benefit from tablet treatment. There is not yet an effective non-invasive combined test that can give all this information in one go. Studies have shown that if there's atherosclerosis in another artery, a person is very likely to have coronary atherosclerosis as well. Carotid atherosclerosis, in the neck arteries, can be seen with ultrasound similar to stress echocardiography. So, by combining these two tests the investigators want to see if it is possible to see severe as well as small areas of disease in one test, to provide better treatment. The study will enrol 2,000 participants, who need investigation for CHD, equally randomised to CTCA or stress echocardiography with carotid ultrasound. We will follow these participants for 5 years and observe for any adverse outcomes and ask them to complete a questionnaire.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
2,000
Detection of obstructive coronary disease
London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
Harrow, Middx, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGDetection of obstructive CAD and prevalence of MACE in enrolled participants
Time frame: Within 3 months of randomisation confirmed by documentation in medical record
Assessment of resource utilisation between study arms (subsequent downstream testing, cardiac related hospital visits, costs and incremental cost effectiveness)
Time frame: Time to first event, up to 18 months post randomisation, confirmed by medical record documentation
Assessment of overall ionising radiation exposure (dose) between study arms
Time frame: Within 3 months of randomisation, confirmed by documentation in investigation report
Major complications from cardiovascular procedures or cardiovascular diagnostic testing
(a. Haemodynamically unstable new arrhythmia requiring emergency respiratory and/or circulatory support b. Anaphylaxis defined as a new severe reaction requiring emergency respiratory and/or circulatory support to administration of medication, including but not limited to; iodinated contrast, ultrasound contrast, dobutamine or atropine. c. Major bleeding requiring a transfusion of ≥ 1 unit of packed red blood cells and/or further interventional procedures related to bleeding management. d. Acute severe renal failure requiring ≥ 1 cycle of renal replacement therapy. e. Stroke defined as sudden onset focal neurological deficit with cerebral imaging confirming new stroke)
Time frame: Up to18 months from randomisation to time of first documented outcome in medical records
Analysis of patient derived chest pain related quality of life (EQ-5D)
Time frame: at 6-months and 12-months after randomisation on telephonecall questionnaire completion with patient
Change in prescription of preventative therapies (including statin and anti-platelet agents or dose increase of current statin therapy > 50%)
Time frame: Up to 18 months from randomisation to time of first documented outcome in medical records
The proportion of patients undergoing invasive coronary angiography and revascularisation, of the target lesion, either through PCI or CABG, at follow up.
Time frame: Time (in days) from the initial investigation until revascularisation confirmed by medical record documentation
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