Clinical trials

Protein supplementation is said to be one of the cost-efficient and practical strategies to meet protein needs for growth and exercise, and can help maximize muscle gain from resistance exercise. It facilitates faster recovery from stress-induced tissue damage and enhances performance output. Protein sources derived from animal products are generally recognized as the highest quality protein. However, altering the protein composition of a protein source can improve the protein quality. The yeast protein supplement the investigators will use in this study has a similar amino acid composition to whey protein, which is derived from an animal product, but it is produced more sustainably. The study aims to compare the effects of yeast and whey protein on muscle mass over 16 weeks.

Obesity is considered a global pandemic and is associated with various diseases and metabolic complications, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, cholesterol disorders, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease. Obesity can affect the kidneys in two main ways: indirectly, through mechanisms related to diabetes mellitus and/or high blood pressure, and directly, through complex proteins called "adipokines," which are produced by adipocytes. Many of these adipokines are secreted by adipocytes under normal conditions, as they contribute to maintaining immune defenses and energy production. However, in obesity these adipokines acquire harmful properties and produce chronic inflammation in vital organs, such as the heart, blood vessels, the pancreas, and the kidney, leading to a deterioration in liver and kidney function. New drugs such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1Ras / Semaglutide), are not only effective to regulate blood sugar levels, but they produce weight loss improving kidney and liver function. However, little is known about their specific effect on the adipose tissue. Therefore, studies focusing on how these drugs work in fat could help us understand how diseased adipose tissue can affect patients with heart, liver, and kidney disease. Investigators are asking patients who attend the diabetes clinics associated with the University of Alberta to join the study.

Demonstrate the relationship between DD-cfDNA levels and HLA antibodies in blood transplant recipient and the Molecular Microscope® (MMDx) Diagnostic System results in indication and protocol biopsies from heart transplants.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) works to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in military veterans. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does DBR lower PTSD symptoms compared with treatment as usual? * Do PTSD symptoms stay lower three months after treatment? Researchers will compare waitlist to see if DBR works to treat PTSD. Participants will: * Receive eight DBR sessions, each lasting about 50 minutes * Answer questions before and after treatment and 3 months later * Complete short questionnaires before and after each session * Complete an interview about their experience of DBR

Background: Hypertension, together with poorly controlled blood pressure (BP) are known risk factors for kidney disease and progression to kidney failure as well as increased cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Several studies in patients without kidney disease have demonstrated the efficacy of home BP telemonitoring (HBPT) for BP control. Objective: The primary aim of this study is to assess the mean difference in systolic BP (SBP) at 12 months, from baseline in remote dwelling patients with hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Northern Alberta, Canada, comparing HBPT + usual care versus HBPT + a case manager. Other secondary objectives, including cost-effectiveness and acceptability of HBPT as well as occurrence of adverse events will also be assessed. Methods Design: This study is designed as a pragmatic randomized controlled trial (RCT) of HBPT plus clinical case management compared to HBPT with usual care. Setting: Peace River region in Northern Alberta Region, Canada. Patients: Primary care patients with CKD and hypertension. Measurements: Eligible patients will be randomized 1:1 to HBPT + BP case management versus HBPT + usual care. In the intervention arm, BP will be measured 4 times daily for 1 week, with medications titrated up or down by the study case manager until guideline targets (systolic BP \[SBP\]: \<130mmHg) are achieved. Once BP is controlled, (i.e., to guideline-concordant targets), this 1-week protocol will be repeated every 3 months for 1 year. Patients in the control arm will also follow the same BP measurement protocol, however, there will be no interactions with the case manager; they will share their BP readings with their primary care physicians or nurse practitioners at scheduled visits. Limitations: Potential limitations of this study include the relatively short duration of follow-up, possible technological pitfalls, and need for patients to own a smartphone and have access to the internet to participate. Conclusions: As this study will focus on a high-risk population that has been characterized by a large care gap, it will generate important evidence that would allow targeted and effective population-level strategies to be implemented to improve health outcomes for high-risk hypertensive CKD patients in Canada's remote communities.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the safety and antibody (germ fighters) response of the experimental (investigational) vaccine against HCV when injected into the arm of healthy adults.

Opiates are commonly used to control pain in critically ill patients in the ICU. However, increased rates of opiate use in hospital may lead to increased prescription-based opiate dependence after leaving the ICU. This may contribute to the ongoing opiate epidemic across the world. Other medications that can reduce pain, like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), are being studied in critically ill patients. These drugs block the enzyme, cyclooxygenases (COX), which causes inflammation in the body. Blocking these enzymes can decrease pain, fever, and inflammation. Traditionally, NSAIDs are not commonly used in critically ill patients due to the perceived risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and acute kidney injury (AKI). However, many critically ill patients are already receiving medications and treatments to prevent GI bleeding and AKI and are closely monitored so these medications may be useful in reducing pain for these patients. The purpose of this study is to see whether NSAIDs can be used safely in critically ill patients to reduce the dose of opiates required for pain control. This is a pilot study or a feasibility study, which is not expected to answer the question definitively. Its main purpose is to determine if NSAIDs could reduce the use of opiates in critically ill patients while in the ICU. The data collected in this study may be used in a larger study in the future.

The purpose of this study is to compare whether the FDA and Health Canada approved microUS is as effective as the currently used option (MRI) for imaging the prostate gland. Participants will be randomized into two groups to compare the imaging results of the current standard of care MRI and the new microUS. The study is looking to identify the most effective imaging modality to help guide whether you progress to have a prostate biopsy.

Nocturia is defined by doctors as getting up one or more times a night to use the bathroom, where you were asleep before going to use the washroom and then going back to sleep afterward. People who experience this condition describe it was one of their biggest problems. This condition is very common as people get older and can seriously affect older peoples quality of life including disruptions to sleep, daily functioning, risk of falls and even early death.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare lung disease that leads to elevated blood pressure in the lungs and strain on the right side of the heart. For many years, treatments for PAH have included drugs that target the prostacyclin pathway using intravenous, subcutaneous, oral, and inhaled drugs. These drugs help widen the blood vessels in the lungs so the heart does not have to work as hard. However, these medicines can cause side effects such as jaw pain, flushing, diarrhea, and nausea, and the pump therapy can be very hard to manage day-to-day. A newer medicine called sotatercept works in a different way. It helps fix some of the root causes of PAH. Early reports suggest that some people do very well on sotatercept and may not need to keep taking their prostacyclin therapy. However, investigators do not yet know if it is safe to stop prostacyclin therapies or how to do so. This study, called WATERLOO, is designed to find out whether slowly stopping prostacyclin therapy while the participant is doing well on sotatercept is safe. Investigators will compare people who stop their prostacyclin therapy to people who keep taking it. This study is being done at PAH expert centres in Canada and Europe.

SMART DIALYSIS - Scaling Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence AlgoRithms to OpTimize the Performance and Delivery of Acute DIALYSIS. Hypothesis: Can the investigators develop and implement Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Algorithms into Clinical Information Systems to Optimize the Prescription, Delivery, and Performance of Acute Dialysis? Objective(s): 1. Identify variables surrounding identified Key Performance Indicators that may be used by Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence algorithms to optimize the prescription and performance of acute dialysis. 2. Develop Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence algorithms to help guide the prescription and delivery of acute dialysis in the development of Clinical Decision Support tools and Best Practice Advisories and create a ML/AI Augmented SMART DIALYSIS Digital Dashboard. 3. Implement and evaluate the performance of the developed Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence algorithms on patient-centered and health economic outcomes. 4. Validate and benchmark the performance of the evaluated Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence algorithms across multiple jurisdictions.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are special immune cells taken from a patient and changed in a lab to help them find and attack cancer cells. These cells are designed to look for a marker called CD19, which is found on both cancer cells and healthy B cells (a type of white blood cell). Because of this, CAR T cells can also destroy healthy B cells. This can lead to a strong drop in B cells and cause a condition called hypogammaglobulinemia (HGG), which makes it harder for the body to fight infections. Serious infections are common in people treated with CAR T cells and are a major reason for death that is not caused by the return of cancer. To help prevent infections, patients with HGG often get immunoglobulin replacement therapy (IRT), which gives them the antibodies they need. This treatment can be given through a vein (IVIG) or under the skin (SCIG). The goal of this project is to study how often these patients get bacterial infections, how they feel about their quality of life and treatment, and what side effects they may have when treated with IVIG or SCIG after CAR T-cell therapy.

Patients frequently experience problems with sleep while admitted to the ICU. Good sleep is important in ensuring that your immune system responds properly to infection, for your heart to function optimally, and to support normal brain function such as memory. To address sleep problems in the ICU, a bundle of interventions to support more normal sleep are provided. These bundles consist of medications such as sedatives and environmental changes such as less frequent times being assessed overnight and noise reduction strategies. Although medications can make patients appear to be sleeping, most medications do not provide patients with restful sleep. More research is needed on medications that better mimick restful sleep. One such medication is dexmedetomidine. When formally measured dexmedetomidine can make sleep appear more like a patient sleeping at home as compared to the hospital. The purpose of this study is to test whether giving a patient in the intensive care unit dexmedetomidine helps have a more restful sleep and possibly be more alert and/or interactive the next day. To see if dexmedetomidine improves sleep, the investigators will compare the quality of sleep of two different groups of participants: one group that receives dexmedetomidine at night for 2 nights in a row and another group that does not. How well one sleeps will be measured, in either group, will be assessed by a portable sleep machine that is attached by several stickers. This study is called a pilot or feasibility study. A pilot study assesses how easy it is to recruit patients, whether the sleep machine is tolerated, and amount of time sleep is measured. It is anticipated that about 50 people will take part in this study. This study should take approximately 2 years to complete, and the results should be known in about 1-2 years thereafter.

A two-centre prospective cohort phase III study of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT imaging in specific patient populations: 1. Adults patients (≥18 years old) with a history of radical prostatectomy for treatment of prostate cancer, and a serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) ≥ 0.2 mcg/L 2. Adult patients with a history of radiotherapy, cryotherapy, or brachytherapy for treatment of prostate cancer, and a serum PSA progressively rising to ≥ 2 mcg/L (minimum two samples) OR a serum PSA doubling time of \< 9 months 3. Adult patients with a history of biopsy-proven prostate cancer and high-risk features for metastatic disease prior to treatment with radical prostatectomy, radiotherapy, cryotherapy, or brachytherapy. High-risk features include a Gleason score ≥ 7, serum PSA ≥ 20 mcg/L, OR minimum clinical T-stage T2c 4. Adult patients who do not meet criteria 1-3 but in whom a 18F-PDAM-1007 PET/CT scan is expected to provide clinical benefit as determined by a Urologist, Radiation Oncologist, Medical Oncologist, or Nuclear Medicine physician (licensed in Alberta) The safety of the investigational 18F-PSMA-1007 tracer will be evaluated in 3 ways: 1. The participant will be screened for adverse effects immediately post-injection 2. The participant will be screened for adverse effects immediately after the scan (approximately 2.5 hours after tracer injection) 3. The participant will be provided an information sheet and contact information for self-reporting of any delayed adverse events (1-7 days post injection) The incidence of and activity of non-specific bone lesions will be quantified and evaluated as follows: 1. All lesions categorized as non-specific bone lesions (PSMA-1007 SUVmax \> 2.5 but no corresponding lesion on CT) will be recorded 2. The SUVmax and anatomic location will be recorded for each lesion (max 5 per participant) 3. Recorded lesions will be evaluated a minimum of 1 year post-scan to determine whether they are benign or malignant based on previously published reference standard criteria (Arnfield et al., 2021) 4. Equivocal lesions will be considered unevaluable and will be excluded from assessment of accuracy

Severe muscle loss in patients with cancer has been associated with increased physical disability, extended hospitalization, infectious and noninfectious complications, increased risk of severe toxicity during cancer treatment, poor quality of life and shortened survival. Adequate protein is key to sustain muscle mass and overall health. However, current nutritional recommendations are not specific or evidence-based. The aim of this project is to determine the protein needs of patients with colorectal or breast cancer. Protein needs will be determined using a novel, non-invasive approach. Our results will inform nutritional recommendations and guidelines with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for people with cancer.

Injection of Botox into the bladder is a common treatment for overactive bladder. Postoperative bladder infection is one of the more frequently reported complications of this procedure. Prophylactic antibiotics given at the time of bladder Botox for the reduction of postoperative bladder infection have not been well studied. The main goal of our study is to determine if prophylactic antibiotics at the time of bladder Botox injection for the treatment of overactive bladder in women reduces postoperative bladder infection. The investigators are proposing a study which will randomize participants into two groups - one receiving Ciprofloxacin and the other receiving placebo pills for three days following the procedure. The primary outcome evaluated will be the difference in postoperative bladder infection between the two groups. The investigators will also investigate differences in reported side effects between the two groups possibly related to antibiotic use. Follow-up will be over six weeks following the procedure.

Canada's health care system has established numerous clinics over the past 20 years to treat childhood obesity. However, up to 80% of children at these clinics drop out before they finish treatment. This is one of the most difficult challenges in managing childhood obesity, since even the most effective treatments cannot help children who drop out. However, children who stay in treatment longer are more likely to manage obesity successfully. This randomized controlled trial will test whether Family Navigation (FN) helps reduce drop out from obesity treatment. Overall, this study will last 5 years. The investigators will enroll 252 children aged 6 to 17 with obesity. These children will receive treatment at obesity management clinics in Calgary, Mississauga, or Ottawa. For the 24-month intervention period, one group of children (half of those enrolled) will receive FN + Usual Care; the other group will receive only Usual Care. Navigators trained in motivational interviewing and bias/stigma reduction will work with children receiving FN and their families to overcome barriers that limit their access to health services and support. Navigators will offer additional services and resources, such as parking passes for clinic visits and supportive text messages between appointments. FN is designed to support the obesity management care received by children and their families. Better access to care may help children and their families working with navigators to stay engaged and attend more treatment appointments. Ultimately, they may be more likely to succeed in managing obesity.

The COVID-19 pandemic has swept across the globe, affecting millions of individuals with varying degrees of severity. While many individuals recover from the acute phase of the infection, a significant proportion continue to experience persistent and debilitating symptoms long after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection. This condition, known as Long COVID (LC) or sometimes referred to as Post-COVID Condition (PCC) or post-acute sequelae of COVID-19, has emerged as a complex multisystemic condition and challenging health issue, affecting approximately 10% of COVID-19 patients. Various symptoms characterize LC, including fatigue, sleep disturbances, cognitive impairment, and mood disturbances. Some of the symptoms are shared with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) - a condition marked by debilitating fatigue and a host of other symptoms without precise biomarkers or objective tests for diagnosis. Effective LC treatments remain elusive and LC patients continue to grapple with persistent symptoms that significantly impact their quality of life. Given the lack of effective treatments, it is imperative to explore novel therapeutic approaches that may alleviate the suffering of this patient population.

RESILIENCE is 24-week randomized controlled trial that assesses the efficacy of a digital wellness platform, combined with online support from healthcare professionals, to enhance waist circumference and other vital health outcomes in endometrial cancer survivors.

After spinal cord injury (SCI), many people lose their ability to walk and do not have access to equipment and assistance that could help them regain functional abilities. Furthermore, many who have the potential to regain function are further hindered by a loss of function in their upper body that limits their ability to use a walker or crutches, thus eliminating options for mobility. This study seeks to determine the safety and feasibility of the XoMotion-R, a self-balancing exoskeleton that allows people with American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) rating of B-D SCI to walk hands-free in inpatient and outpatient settings. This study will examine how use of the XoMotion-R affects functional outcomes and identify setting-specific barriers and facilitators to clinical adoption. This single-arm feasibility study will recruit 8 SCI inpatients and 8 SCI outpatients whose goal is to improve their walking and incorporate the XoMotion-R into their rehabilitation sessions. Participants will work on a variety of gait tasks tailored to their functional level. The goal is to determine whether early robotic gait training can improve functional outcomes and decrease length of stay, secondary complications, and long-term disability burden.

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition where there is abnormal tissue growing in the pelvis or other places in the body that resembles the lining of the uterus (endometrium), and is a common cause of long lasting pelvic pain. Surgery is sometimes done for endometriosis to help people with pain, however it is common for people to have some pain after surgery that doesn't go away. This may be related to other painful things like muscle pain in the pelvis, bowel or bladder issues, or mental health conditions. Researchers would like to know if doing pelvic floor physiotherapy before surgery for endometriosis will help people with long lasting pain after surgery. Participants in the study will be randomly put into one of two groups: the intervention group, who will receive two to three structured in-person pelvic floor physiotherapy sessions prior to surgery ("prehabilitation"), in addition to usual surgical care, or the control group, who will receive usual surgical care, and may still access physiotherapy outside of the study if they want to. All participants will complete questionnaires before surgery, after completing prehabilitation or immediately before surgery if they are part of the control group, approximately 6 weeks after surgery, 6 months after surgery, and 12 months after surgery. The questionnaires ask about endometriosis-related pain, quality of life, bladder and bowel symptoms, and mental well-being.

It is unknown whether passive myofunctional appliances can be used for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring, nor how to select the appropriate size per individual patient. Exploring the possibility of using passive myofunctional appliances as a treatment option for patients with mild obstructive sleep apnea and/or snoring should be considered, especially as the time to fabricate and deliver custom designed dental sleep appliances can be significant (sometimes over a month). Use of passive myofunctional appliances as a transitional appliance or potentially as direct treatment for obstructive sleep apnea may significantly decrease time to treatment and also provide a less expensive treatment option for patients with obstructive sleep apnea. The purpose of this study is to determine whether passive myofunctional appliances can be used as a treatment option for patients suffering from snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea is a medical condition where a child has great difficulty with breathing, or stops breathing all together, while asleep. This is a medical condition for which the primary treatment is usually a surgery targeted towards removing swollen tonsils and adenoids. However, surgical removal of tonsils and adenoids comes with its own risks of complications during and after surgery including secondary hemorrhage and long term increased risks for respiratory and infectious diseases. Perhaps more importantly, surgical removal of swollen tonsils and adenoids does not guarantee successful treatment of a child's obstructive sleep apnea. The use of laser light therapy in a non-cutting manner (known as photobiomodulation and abbreviated as PBM) has been a relatively new development within medicine. Recently, dentists have begun to use PBM as a method to treat adult snoring and, with lesser success, adult obstructive sleep apnea. To date, there are no known side effects to the use of PBM for the treatment of any sleep breathing disorders. However, no research has been published on the use of PBM for the treatment of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea or swollen tonsils in children The purpose of this project is to determine whether photobiomodulation can provide a beneficial effect on pediatric hypertrophic tonsils and pediatric obstructive sleep apnea and, if it does, to create the appropriate workflow, referral pathways, and treatment parameters for clinicians to provide this treatment as a multidisciplinary approach in a clinical setting. The investigators hypothesize that photobiomodulation can be used successfully to decrease the pediatric hypertrophic tonsils in children with symptoms of an pediatric obstructive sleep apnea and will also result in improved AHI scores (be able to breath significantly better when sleeping) in these children.

Medications used after transplant to prevent rejection are associated with many side effects. Tacrolimus side effects include kidney dysfunction; tremor, headaches, difficulty sleeping, change in sensation (legs), seizure, or confusion; high blood pressure; anemia, or low blood cell counts; diabetes; abnormal cholesterol and weight gain. The investigators want to use a new, approved, formulation of the standard medication (Envarsus) as they believe it may be associated with reduced side effects. The investigators would like to assess how safe it is to use this medication and how well it works in comparison to currently used formulations. The investigators will study if there are less side effects and will study clinical outcomes (including how well the liver does and if there is need for hospitalizations after transplant). The investigators hope that this information will improve the care provided to and outcomes in patients following liver transplant.

This study is aims to examine the best amount of oxygen to give preterm babies (born between 32 and 35 weeks) right after birth. In the past, doctors used high levels of oxygen, but research has shown that using lower levels might help reduce the risk of death in full-term babies without harming brain development. However, investigators don't know the best oxygen level for babies born a little early (32 to 35 weeks). Some early data suggests that giving lower oxygen levels (FiO2 0.3) may not help babies reach healthy oxygen levels by 5 minutes after birth. This study will compare two oxygen levels-FiO2 0.6 and FiO2 0.3 to see which helps babies breathe better and need less ongoing breathing support. Researchers will study over 1,500 babies in hospitals across Alberta, Canada, to find the safest approach for these babies.