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Sudden Cardiac DeathNCT00181233

Imaging Techniques for Identifying Factors of Sudden Cardiac Death Risk

An observational study of Sudden Cardiac Death, run by Johns Hopkins University at 1 site in United States.

Recruiting

Looking for participants now. Contact the study team or a site below to ask about taking part.

Sites and contacts
Official record
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Trial summary

Sudden cardiac death is a tragic event that strikes all age groups and is unfortunately increasing in prevalence. Because it is difficult to predict those at highest risk, this study is designed to test the hypothesis that new imaging techniques (magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] and computed tomography [CT]) are… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Sudden Cardiac Death
How many people
400 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Oct 2003to Jul 2029
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Patients with contractile dysfunction (EF< or = 35%) on an ischemic or non-ischemic basis undergoing clinically-indicated ICD implantation for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD)

Who may be able to join

  • Left ventricular ejection fraction <or = 35%
  • Planned implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation for clinical indications (primary prevention)

Who cannot join

  • History of sudden death (secondary prevention)
  • Contraindication to undergoing MRI (metallic implant, pacemaker, etc.)

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Barbara Butcher, RN contact

443-287-3472

bbutche1@jhmi.edu

United States1 site, 1 recruiting
  • Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions

    Baltimore, Maryland, 21287

    Tricia Steinberg, RN, 443-287-3469, asteinb3@jhmi.edu

    Recruiting

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Functional Energetics and Imaging for Phenotypic Characterization of Patients at Risk for Sudden Cardiac Death

Sudden cardiac death is a tragic event that strikes all age groups and is unfortunately increasing in prevalence. Because it is difficult to predict those at highest risk, this study is designed to test the hypothesis that new imaging techniques (magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] and computed tomography [CT]) are useful for identifying factors which put people at high risk for sudden death.

Read the detailed description

Some people with heart disease and a weak heart muscle experience abnormal electrical activity of the heart that may predispose them to sudden death. In light of this risk, it has been recommended that such patients undergo implantation of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Your doctors have determined that you are such a patient and are to undergo implantation of an ICD. It is unclear who among the many patients who undergo ICD implantation for this reason are at greatest risk of sudden death and therefore require electrical response from their ICD. This research is being done to determine whether new imaging tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT), can be used to predict who is at highest risk of sudden death and require electrical response from their ICD.

Medical subject headings
Death, Sudden, Cardiac

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. sudden cardiac death

    Measured: 6 month intervals

  2. cardiovascular death

    Measured: 6 month intervals

  3. appropriate ICD discharge

    Measured: 6 month intervals

  4. composite sudden cardiac death and appropriate ICD discharge

    Measured: 6 month intervals

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. heart failure admission

    Measured: 6 month intervals

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted16 Sep 2005 (estimated)
  2. Study startOct 2003
  3. Primary completionFeb 2028 (estimated)
  4. Study completionJul 2029 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Other
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
400 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00181233
Sponsor's protocol ID
NA_00037404
Status last verified
Jan 2026
First submitted
13 Sep 2005
Last updated
14 Jan 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Samuel TJ, Lai S, Schar M, Wu KC, Steinberg AM, Wei AC, Anderson ME, Tomaselli GF, Gerstenblith G, Bottomley PA, Weiss RG. Myocardial ATP depletion detected noninvasively predicts sudden cardiac death risk in patients with heart failure. JCI Insight. 2022 Jun 22;7(12):e157557. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.157557.

    PubMed 35579938
  • Wu KC, Gerstenblith G, Guallar E, Marine JE, Dalal D, Cheng A, Marban E, Lima JA, Tomaselli GF, Weiss RG. Combined cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and C-reactive protein levels identify a cohort at low risk for defibrillator firings and death. Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2012 Mar;5(2):178-86. doi: 10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.111.968024. Epub 2012 Jan 20.

    PubMed 22267750
  • Wu KC, Weiss RG, Thiemann DR, Kitagawa K, Schmidt A, Dalal D, Lai S, Bluemke DA, Gerstenblith G, Marban E, Tomaselli GF, Lima JA. Late gadolinium enhancement by cardiovascular magnetic resonance heralds an adverse prognosis in nonischemic cardiomyopathy. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2008 Jun 24;51(25):2414-21. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2008.03.018.

    PubMed 18565399

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Sudden Cardiac Death, run by Johns Hopkins University at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Jan 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

Contact Barbara Butcher, RN (443-287-3472, bbutche1@jhmi.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

sudden cardiac death (time frame: 6 month intervals). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00181233, which also lists 3 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 14 Jan 2026.

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