Comparison of Differencens in VO2-max, Perfusion of the Heart and Brain and Cognitive Performance Between Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Healthy Age Matched Controls. (SVAT)

October 2, 2024 updated by: Thomas Ehlig Hjermind Justesen, University Hospital Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg

Small Vessel Disease of the Brain and Heart a PET Perfusion Study of Training Effects

In the aging population, ischemic heart disease, stroke and dementia are increasingly prevalent. Diagnosis and treatment of the former two i.e., large-vessel coronary heart disease and endovascular thrombectomy of the brain in relation to stroke have improved significantly. Yet, the majority of elderly patients with ischemic heart disease do not have large-vessel heart disease and it seems that small vessel disease (SVD) may explain a large fraction of these cases as well as the cardiovascular morbidity in the elderly. Hence, the current development in diagnostics and treatments of ischemic heart disease does not address the most common subtype of ischemic disease seen in elderly patients.

It has been suggested that SVD is part of a multisystem disorder and several systematic reviews have addressed the hypothesis of a potential link between small vessel disease of the heart, brain, and kidneys. Cerebral SVD is prevalent in the aging population causing cognitive impairment, dementia, and an increased risk of stroke, and cerebral hypoperfusion is an acknowledged cause of vascular dementia and a possible cause of Alzheimer's disease. Further, cognitive impairment within multiple cognitive domains is highly prevalent in heart failure and is associated to an increased risk of dementia. The link between heart failure and dementia may be due to multisystem SVD, although a direct link between the two is possible.

Among other known risk factors such as age, hypertension, and female sex, diabetes is a major cause of SVD and is linked to coronary heart disease as well as cognitive impairment. The diagnosis of cerebral SVD relies on MRI detecting infarctions, haemorrhages, microbleeds and ischemic white matter changes, i.e. Fazekas score. In contrast, perfusion PET is used to image myocardial perfusion in patients with coronary SVD; and coronary SVD is recognized as a part of the pathophysiology in angina, coronary artery disease, and heart failure. Perfusion PET before and after adenosine-induced vasodilation allows for measuring, the myocardial flow reserve (MFR), i.e. perfusion capacity, which in the absence of regional perfusion defects, is a measure of coronary SVD. Prof. Eva Prescott have recently shown that reduced MFR obtained by 82Rb PET is a strong predictor of future microvascular events and all-cause mortality.

Exercise is well known to improve cognitive health but professor Carl-Johan Boraxbekk has shown that the effect on cognitive performance may be dependent on the initial cerebrovascular status, as patients with moderate to severe white matter changes did not improve after a 6 months physical activation intervention in contrast to patients with mild changes. Yet, it is possible to improve brain function in diabetic patients through either dietary or exercise interventions.

Systemic SVD is measured as cerebral SVD (reduced brain perfusion during acetazolamide-induced vasodilation) and coronary SVD (reduced heart perfusion during adenosine-induced vasodilation). The researchers anticipate that patients with type 2 dabetes have reduced perfusion capacity of the brain and heart correlating to reduced cognition and cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2-max).

Study Overview

Detailed Description

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare baseline measurements relevant to microvascular disease between patients with diabetes and increased risk of microvascular disease with healthy age-matched control.

The researchers wish to examine if small vessel disease is a disease that affects several organs at once in the same individuals by examining it in the brain and heart in the same participants. The researchers will also test if cardiorespiratory conditioning (VO2-max), blood perfusion to the heart and brain and cognitive performance are correlated in patients with microvascular disease.

To adress these aims the researchers have defined the following assumptions that they will refute or confirm through this study:

  • Patients with type 2 diabetes and increased risk of small vessel disease have significantly reduced perfusion capacity of the brain and heart compared to healthy controls as part of a multisystem disease
  • Perfusion capacity of the brain and heart, the cardiorespiratory fitness level of the subjects and cognitive performance are directly linked.

    48 patients with diabetes and 24 healthy age-matched controls will undergo baseline testing that include:

  • Cardiopulmonal Exercise Test (CPET) to determine cardiopulmonal conditioning (VO2-max)
  • Isometric knee strength (if logistically possible)
  • Echocardiography
  • Blood perfusion capacity of the heart and brain via [15O]H2O-PET scans
  • Brain MRI to determine structural damages
  • Blood samples for basic health check (relevant to inclusion, exclusion and safety) and blood samples looking at endothelial and neurological damage for a biobank
  • Cognitive testing (SCIP-D and CANTAB)

Afterwards the researchers will compare the results between the two groups and see if there is a correlation between VO2-max, blood perfusion to the heart and brain and cognitive performance.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

72

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 Backup

Study Locations

      • Copenhagen, Denmark, 2400
        • Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
          • Thomas EHJ Medical Doctor, Medical Doctor

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients with type 2 diabetes with increased risk of microvascular disease.

Description

Inclusion Criteria for the patients with type 2 diabetes:

Diabetes type II diagnose with one of the following:

  • Duration over 5 years
  • Moderate microalbuminuria
  • Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy

    • Speaks and understands Danish (required for reliable cognitive testing)
    • Able to provide informed and written consent

Exclusion Criteria or the patients with type 2 diabetes:

Moderate to high intensity training >1 times/week.

  • Previous AMI, atrial fibrillation, significant cardiac valve disease, HFrEF (LVEF <45%), asthma.
  • Previous stroke or significant neurological disease including cognitive dysfunction.
  • Ongoing depression.
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Unable or unwilling to participate in training, e.g., due to injury, arthrosis or lung disease.

Inclusion Criteria for the healthy age-matched controls:

  • Age > 60 years
  • No diagnosis of T2D according to WHO's criteria.
  • Speaks and understands Danish (required for reliable cognitive testing)
  • Able to provide informed and written consent

Exclusion Criteria for the healthy age-matched controls:

  • Moderate to high intensity training >2 times/week.
  • Previous AMI, atrial fibrillation, significant cardiac valve disease, HFrEF (LVEF <45%), asthma.
  • Previous stroke or significant neurological disease including cognitive dysfunction.
  • Ongoing depression.
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Unable or unwilling to participate in training, e.g., due to injury, arthrosis or lung disease.

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

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
48 patients with type 2 diabetes and increased risk of microvascular disease

Baseline measurements of:

  • [15O]H2O PET of heart and brain
  • Blood sampling
  • Echocardiography
  • Brain MRI
  • Cognitive tests
  • Cardiorespiratory fitness test
  • Muscular function test
PET imaging will be performed with a Discovery 710 PET/CT scanner (GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI, USA). Four 5-minute PET recordings will be performed of each subject within a single scanning session of 70 min. Two consecutive 5-minute scans are conducted of the heart and brain in rest. [15O]H2O, is produced on-site (GENtrace, GE, Uppsala, Sweden), and 600 MBq [15O]H2O is intravenously injected by an automatic Hidex Radiowater Generator (Hidex, Turku, Finland). To induce heart vasodilation, adenosine is infused (140 g/kg/min) for 6 min and a scan of the heart is repeated. To induce brain vasodilation, 1 g of acetazolamide is infused over 5 min and 15 min later the brain is scanned. Myocardial perfusion is calculated using CarimasCE software version 1.3.1. (Turku, Finland). Cerebral perfusion is calculated using PMOD software (PMOD Technologies, Switzerland).
Other Names:
  • MRI
  • VO2-max
  • cognitive testing
24 healthy age-matched participants

Baseline measurements of:

  • [15O]H2O PET of heart and brain
  • Blood sampling
  • Echocardiography
  • Brain MRI
  • Cognitive tests
  • Cardiorespiratory fitness test
  • Muscular function test
PET imaging will be performed with a Discovery 710 PET/CT scanner (GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI, USA). Four 5-minute PET recordings will be performed of each subject within a single scanning session of 70 min. Two consecutive 5-minute scans are conducted of the heart and brain in rest. [15O]H2O, is produced on-site (GENtrace, GE, Uppsala, Sweden), and 600 MBq [15O]H2O is intravenously injected by an automatic Hidex Radiowater Generator (Hidex, Turku, Finland). To induce heart vasodilation, adenosine is infused (140 g/kg/min) for 6 min and a scan of the heart is repeated. To induce brain vasodilation, 1 g of acetazolamide is infused over 5 min and 15 min later the brain is scanned. Myocardial perfusion is calculated using CarimasCE software version 1.3.1. (Turku, Finland). Cerebral perfusion is calculated using PMOD software (PMOD Technologies, Switzerland).
Other Names:
  • MRI
  • VO2-max
  • cognitive testing

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
[15O]H2O PET assessment of the blood perfusion to the brain
Time Frame: From baseline testing to end of study, 6 months
We will use the scan to determine our primary outcome: Blood perfusion to the brain. Radioactive water ([15O]H2O) will be used as a PET-tracer since it follows the blood and is the gold standard tracer for PET-based blood perfusion measurements. We measure the blood perfusion of both the brain as the perfusion capacity, meaning the difference between blood perfusion to the organ at rest and the maximally possible perfusion. In the brain we use injection of diamox to stimualte maximal dilation of the cerebral arteries which corresponds to the maximally possible perfusion of the brain.
From baseline testing to end of study, 6 months
[15O]H2O PET assessment of the blood perfusion of the heart
Time Frame: From baseline testing to end of study, 6 months

We will use the scan to determine our primary outcome: Blood perfusion to the heart.

Radioactive water ([15O]H2O) will be used as a PET-tracer since it follows the blood and is the gold standard tracer for PET-based blood perfusion measurements.

We measure the blood perfusion of both the heart as the perfusion capacity, meaning the difference between blood perfusion to the organ at rest and the maximally possible perfusion. In the heart we use injection of adenosin to stimualte maximal dilation of the coronary arteries which corresponds to the maximally possible perfusion of the heart.

From baseline testing to end of study, 6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Cognitive performance (CANTAB)
Time Frame: From baseline testing to end of study, 6 months
Testing of a broad range of cognitive functions. The test is tablet based and one of the most "investigator-independent" cognitive tests available. The test takes around 45 minutes to perform.
From baseline testing to end of study, 6 months
Cognitive Performance (SCIP-D)
Time Frame: From baseline testing to end of study, 6 months

Assessed via SCIP-D in order to evaluate a broad range of cognitive areas in around 15-20 minutes. Both groups will undergo both tests. The primary investigator will receive learning in how to carry out the SCIP-D correctly.

SCIP-D is a more clinically relevant test that can be used in a clinical setting to identify patients with cognitive dysfunction.

From baseline testing to end of study, 6 months
Cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2-max)
Time Frame: From baseline testing to end of study, 6 months
Will be assessed as the maximal or peak oxygen consumption (VO2-max or VO2-peak) during a cardiopulmonal exercise test (CPET).
From baseline testing to end of study, 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Thomas EHJ Primary Investigator, Medical Doctor, University Hospital Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg

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 (Estimated)

November 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

January 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 30, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 2, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

October 4, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

October 4, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 2, 2024

Last Verified

October 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Have not gotten the necessary clearence

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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