Bariatric Surgery for the Reduction of cArdioVascular Events Randomized Controlled Trial (BRAVE)

May 25, 2026 updated by: Population Health Research Institute
The primary objective of this study is to evaluate if, in patients with severe obesity (body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2) and high-risk cardiovascular disease (CVD), bariatric surgery compared to medical weight management (MWM) safely reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events. The cost-effectiveness of bariatric surgery will also be examined. Separate sub-studies will be performed to examine the relationship between bariatric surgery and mental health and cognition (BRAVE-Mind), cardiac structure and function, genomics, proteomics and metabolomics.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
700

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Jorge Wong, MD, MPH, FRCPC
  • Phone Number: 40309 905-521-2100
  • Email: jorge.wong@phri.ca

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Ontario
      • Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, L8L 2X2
        • Recruiting
        • Hamilton Health Sciences
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Body mass index ≥30 kg/m2; OR BMI ≥30 kg/m2 to 34.9 kg/m2 and have type 2 diabetes or are >55 years of age
  2. Age ≥18 years

  3. High-risk CVD, defined as the presence of any one of the following:

    1. High-risk coronary artery disease (CAD) (i.e., history of MI, percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery bypass grafting, or stenoses ≥ 50% in 2 or more major coronary arteries)
    2. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 40%
    3. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (LVEF > 40%) and either HF hospitalization in the last 2-years or N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) > 300 pg/ml or BNP > 100 pg/ml in the past 12 months
    4. Documented atrial fibrillation (AF) with CHA2DS2-VASc ≥2 stroke risk score
    5. History of any stroke
    6. Documented peripheral arterial disease (PAD) (i.e., peripheral revascularization of the iliac, infra-inguinal or carotid arteries; limb or foot amputation for arterial vascular disease; or ≥50% carotid or peripheral artery stenosis)

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Hospital admission for HF, myocardial infarction, stroke or coronary revascularization within 30 days of randomization
  2. Percutaneous coronary intervention with a drug eluting stent within 90 days of randomization.
  3. Pregnancy
  4. Contraindication to bariatric surgery
  5. Prior bariatric surgery, other than gastric banding
  6. Life expectancy <2 years from non-cardiovascular causes
  7. Inability to provide informed consent

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Medical Weight Management
MWM corresponds to standard medical practice for weight loss that is available at the local participating centre, and thus reflects the local standard of care. MWM will typically consist of dietary, lifestyle and/or behavioral modification counseling, which may include nutritional counseling, safe weight management and/or making healthy lifestyle changes. MWM may also include the implementation of a low caloric diet, which may comprise the use of adjuvant meal replacements and/or anti-obesity mediations at the discretion of the treating physician and according to local practice guidelines.
Behavioral: Medical Weight Management
The current standard medical practice for weight loss that is available at the local participating centre, reflecting the local standard of care
Experimental: Bariatric Surgery
The bariatric surgery procedures performed in BRAVE include either gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, or duodenal switch, performed at the discretion of the surgeon and according to local practice standards. Sleeve gastrectomy will be performed as a stand-alone procedure, but may also be performed as part of a planned duodenal switch. Gastric banding is not permitted. Patients may receive a low fat, high protein meal replacement preceding surgery to reduce the size of the liver. Perioperative use of aspirin, thienopyridines (clopidogrel, ticagrelor or prasugrel), and anti-thrombotic therapy (compression stockings and subcutaneous heparin) should follow local guidelines and will be left at the discretion of the individual surgeons. .
Procedure: Bariatric Surgery
Bariatric surgery involves either gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, or duodenal switch, performed at the discretion of the surgeon and according to local practice standards.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Cardiovascular Outcomes
Time Frame: Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Composite of cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and hospitalization for heart failure (HF).
Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
BRAVE-Mind Sub-study Measures
Time Frame: 3 years
  1. Depressive symptoms asessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8)

  2. Global cognitive function assessed with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)

    Secondary Outcome Measures:

  3. Executive function and processing speed assessed with the Number Symbol Coding Task (NSCT)
  4. Functional capacity assessed with the Standardized Assessment of Global Activities in the Elderly (SAGE)
  5. Anxiety symptoms assessed with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7)
  6. Nonnormative eating symptoms assessed with the Loss of Control Over Eating-Brief (LOCES-B)
3 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
All-cause mortality
Time Frame: Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Cardiovascular mortality
Time Frame: Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Myocardial infarction
Time Frame: Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Stroke
Time Frame: Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Hospitalization for heart failure
Time Frame: Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
New onset or remission of type 2 diabetes as per Diabetes Canada / American Diabetes Association Guidelines
Time Frame: Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
New onset atrial fibrillation as assessed by ECG or heart rhythm monitoring
Time Frame: Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Cost effectiveness analysis, measured in quality adjusted life years
Time Frame: Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Economic evaluation to compare the costs and health outcomes associated with bariatric surgery and medical weight management
Through study completion, expected average of 6 years

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Change in quality of life assessed by EQ5D questionnaire
Time Frame: Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Change in quality of life assessed by Laval questionnaire
Time Frame: Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Change in weight
Time Frame: Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Number of hospital admissions irrespective of cause
Time Frame: Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Number of participants with a new cancer diagnosis
Time Frame: Through study completion, expected average of 6 years
Through study completion, expected average of 6 years

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Population Health Research Institute

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Salim Yusuf, DPhil, DSc (Oxon), FRCPC, FRSC, Population Health Research Institute

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 2, 2020

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 13, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 4, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 8, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 28, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 25, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • BRAVE-Full Trial

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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