Emerging biomarkers for carotid artery disease.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Emerging imaging technologies and biomarkers for risk stratification of carotid artery disease.
IRAS ID
229625
Contact name
Kumar Ramnarine
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
11/EM/0249, Details of Allocated REC Committee: Northampton
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 10 months, 29 days
Research summary
A build-up of plaque in the carotid arteries supplying the brain is a common cause of stroke. Current investigations of carotid artery disease in the vascular clinic use ultrasound to measure blood flow and to visually assess the appearance of plaque in the ultrasound image. More recently, developments in ultrasound technology enable the assessment of plaque stiffness and visualisation of plaque motion. This additional information, alongside other potential genetic, blood, and vessel wall (endothelial) markers of cardiovascular disease may be of clinical value for identifying patients at high risk of stroke. One important clinical application is to improve the identification and risk stratification of patients with vulnerable carotid plaque at high risk of rupture. Plaque rupture releases blood clots and debris that can travel through the bloodstream to block vessels supplying the brain, which is a major cause of stroke. It is hypothesized that emerging imaging, genetic, and biological markers for plaque vulnerability may provide important additional information to help identify patients at high risk. These markers have potential for assessing vascular health across a range of clinical applications (e.g. for patients with atrial fibrillation, heart disease, or diabetes). The aim of this study is to explore whether emerging imaging techniques and bio-markers for characterizing carotid plaque might be useful in the vascular clinic.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/YH/0315
Date of REC Opinion
3 Aug 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion