Biomedical Research Informatics Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences (The BRICCS Study)

This project will examine the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with cardiovascular disease in hospital in- and outpatients and compare their characteristics with normal controls from the community. The cardiovascular diseases studied include coronary artery disease, heart failure, heart attacks, valve disease, cardiac surgery, dysrhythmias, aneurysms, embolism, strokes, peripheral vascular disease and hypertension. Current methods for diagnosis and predicting outcome in patients are limited and may lack accuracy. This study will collect clinical details, and blood and urine samples from patients for analysis of proteins, chemicals and genetic biomarkers which will enable an examination of the pathological mechanisms involved in cardiovascular disease. The data will also be used to improve diagnosis and also improve prediction of outcome in patients (future clinical events such as death, further hospitalisation with cardiovascular disease and the effects of any therapy given to the patients). In this way, we can develop accurate ways of assessing a patient's condition and how it could be effectively managed. The study will last for 20 years.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Cardiovascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Risk Factor
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Observation

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 9500

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Emma P Beeston; Phone Number: 0116 204 4738; Email: emma.beeston@uhl-tr.nhs.uk
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Tara Maitland; Phone Number: 0116 204 4737; Email: tara.maitland@uhl-tr.nhs.uk

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Leicester, United Kingdom
    • Recruiting
    • University Hospitals Leicester
    • Contact: Emma P Beeston

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 90 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Participants recruited from secondary care, inpatient and outpatient departments.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• All outpatients and inpatients with cardiovascular disease, of either gender
• Aged 18-90 years old
• Examples of conditions include: coronary artery disease, heart failure, heart attacks (myocardial infarction), valve disease, cardiac surgery, dysrhythmias (including atrial fibrillation), aneurysms, embolism, strokes, peripheral vascular disease, hypertension (and its complications, such as left ventricular hypertrophy) or those presenting with chest pain
• Healthy volunteers
• Aged 18-90 years old
• From the community without cardiovascular or other diseases

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any patient who is unable to give consent
• Any patient with non-cardiovascular comorbidity likely to cause death within 6 months
• Patients know to be infected with HIV, Hepatitis B or any other agent posing an infection risk from unfixed material

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
1	Other: Observation; Physiological Measurements Patient reported questionnaire Blood sampling

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
To improve understanding of disease mechanisms in cardiovascular disease	The principal objective is to improve upon our understanding of disease mechanisms in cardiovascular disease, using plasma and urine proteins or chemicals and a patient's genetic makeup, which may impact on the diagnosis and assessment of prognosis of cardiovascular disease.	20 Years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
To improve prediction of responses to different treatments, using blood proteins or chemicals and a patient's genetic makeup	Secondary objectives include predicting response to different treatments (which would include drugs, devices) using blood proteins or chemicals and a patient's genetic makeup, after appropriate matching by propensity scoring. Plus, assessing whether biomarkers in stool or other tissue can discern the presence and severity of coronary artery disease.	20 Years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Hospitals, Leicester
• Collaborators: University of Leicester
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Nilesh J Samani, Professor, NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 17, 2010
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 31, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 13, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 13, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): May 14, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 11, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 10, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Cardiovascular Diseases; Investigative Techniques; Methods; Observation
• Other Study ID Numbers: 14022

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No