News Archive

A recent study, led by Duke University researchers and published in the European Journ

For decades, cardiac ablation has been used to treat atrial fibrillation (Afib), one of the most common types of arrhythmia. While traditional cardiac ablation techniques use heat energy and cold energy to destroy cells that trigger abnormal heart rhythms, pulsed field ablation (PFA) is a new technology that uses rapid high-voltage pulses of electric current instead. Compared with traditional methods, pulsed field ablation is just as safe and effective, but it also reduces the risk of severe complications, as well as shortening procedure time and recovery time.

Returning individual research results to clinical study participants has not historically been the norm, even for participants with abnormal findings. The paradigm, though, is shifting, with return of results becoming not only a scientific responsibility but also an ethical imperative. However, best practices haven’t been established yet. A team of Duke researchers led by Svati H. Shah, MD, MS, Ursula Geller Distinguished Professor of Research in Cardiovascular Diseases, and Neha Pagidipati, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine, have developed a model using the Project Baseline Health Study (PBHS) for how to effectively communicate results to patients and help empower them towards their health and medical choices. The study also detailed the large number of abnormal results that were returned to participants, highlighting the need to consider these processes early in study design. Results were published in the American Journal of Medicine Open.

Data Coordinating Centers (DCCs) are essential to the success of large clinical research studies. They manage vast amounts of trial information, collecting, verifying, storing, and analyzing the trial data that can change clinical practice and improve patient outcomes. DCCs also support the study design process, ensuring that a project is set up for success before it begins.

Experts from the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) presented the latest research and provided expert insights at the annual meeting of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology, May 17-20 in Belgrade, Serbia.

DCRI Accomplishments showcases the publications, awards, and other achievements of our faculty members. Each quarter, a new collection will highlight the most recent accomplishments.

Faculty from the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) shared new research and offered expert perspectives on emerging issues and advancements in cardiovascular care as part of more than 45 sessions during the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Scientific Sessions, held March 29-31 in Chicago.

Five years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the research community is reflecting on the historic research response to understand the disease and develop diagnostics, therapies, and vaccines. In a special thematic issue of the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, a set of papers outlines the most critical takeaways for the public health and research communities that should be applied to future public health emergencies.

Leading experts recently explored how generative AI could revolutionize clinical research through automated documentation and enhanced trial efficiency. Their findings, published in JACC: Advances, outline crucial steps for successful AI integration while addressing technical, ethical, and regulatory challenges to ensure more inclusive and equitable research outcomes.

A study led by the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) in partnership with Vanderbilt University found no symptomatic or clinical benefit in taking metformin at a titrated dosage of 1,500 mg per day for 14 days for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 symptoms.