Prognostic Value of Novel ECG/MRI Markers in HF: A Retrospective Study

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Determining the Prognostic Value of Novel ECG and MRI Markers in Patients with Heart Failure: A Retrospective Study

  • IRAS ID

    236156

  • Contact name

    Francisco Leyva

  • Contact email

    francisco.leyva@uhb.nhs.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    2 years, 0 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition, that has an increasing prevalence within the UK and represents a major public health problem. It carries with it a grave prognosis, with 5-year mortality rates that are in excess of 50%. Typically, patients exhibit periods of stability that are punctuated by episodic clinical exacerbation. However, the individual course of patients with heart failure can be extremely variable.

    Currently, there are very few factors which can help to identify higher-risk patients. Given the increasing availability of new therapeutic options, ranging from novel drugs, pacemakers, internal defibrillators (pacemakers that can restart the heart in cases of dangerous rhythm disturbances) and surgery, there is now an unmet requirement to identify higher-risk patients at an earlier point in the natural history of their disease. This could potentially enable a more tailored approach to their management.

    We wish to undertake a retrospective, single-centre study of patients referred to a tertiary cardiology hospital that has expertise in the delivery of advanced heart therapies. We propose to review the computerised records of up to 1,000 patients attending this hospital to determine if we can correlate novel features on their baseline tests with their long-term outcome. This will primarily involve a review of their baseline electrocardiogram (ECG), which is a test that involves the recording of electrical signals originating from the heart.

    It is hoped that this may one day help physicians to identify higher-risk patients and those that may require more aggressive therapy to help improve their long-term prognosis.

    Patients will not be required to attend hospital or undergo any procedures. Their clinical care will continue as normal. Where insufficient information is available following a computerized record search, we intend to obtain written consent to approach patients or their relatives (in case of deceased patients) to obtain the required information.

  • REC name

    East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    19/EM/0025

  • Date of REC Opinion

    12 Feb 2019

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion