Clinical trials

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and severe asthma frequently present with cardiovascular comorbidities that contribute substantially to morbidity and mortality. Early identification and appropriate management of cardiovascular disease are increasingly recognized as important components of comprehensive care for patients with obstructive airway diseases. The COINCIDE study is a prospective longitudinal observational cohort study conducted at the Department of Pulmonology, Medical University of Innsbruck. The study aims to systematically document cardiovascular comorbidities in patients with COPD and severe asthma and to evaluate their association with disease progression, therapeutic management, exacerbation rates, symptom burden, and pulmonary function over time. Clinical, functional, laboratory, and imaging data obtained as part of routine clinical care will be collected prospectively during two study visits separated by approximately 24 months. Up to 350 adult participants will be enrolled and followed over a period of five years.

Clonal hematopoiesis (CH), including clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), is an age-associated condition characterized by the expansion of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell clones carrying acquired somatic mutations. Although CH is associated with an increased risk of hematologic malignancies, its greater public health impact derives from its strong association with cardiovascular diseases, including coronary artery disease and stroke. Emerging evidence suggests that CH-associated mutations promote chronic inflammatory signaling in myeloid immune cells, thereby contributing to atherosclerosis and adverse cardiovascular remodeling. This observational translational study aims to characterize the biological spectrum of clonal hematopoiesis across different stages of disease risk and manifestation. Using state-of-the-art single-cell and multi-omics approaches, the study will compare inflammatory pathways, immune cell states, and mutation-associated molecular programs among healthy individuals without CH, individuals with high-risk CH, and patients with CH-associated hematologic or cardiovascular disease. The ultimate goal is to identify shared and disease-specific mechanisms linking clonal hematopoiesis to adverse clinical outcomes and to generate insights for future preventive, anti-clonal, and anti-inflammatory therapeutic strategies.

INN.oral.HEALTH is an sub-study embedded in the Innsbruck Health Promotion Program (INN.HEALTH). The study investigates whether oral health, oral structure, and oral function provide additional information for understanding vascular health in adults from the general population. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke, remain major causes of death and disability. Many risk factors, including blood pressure, blood lipids, blood sugar, smoking, physical activity, sleep, and diet, are already known to influence vascular health. However, oral health may also be related to vascular risk. Conditions such as tooth loss, impaired chewing, reduced tongue strength, or oral disease burden may reflect or contribute to general health and vascular ageing, but their additional value in prevention programs is not yet well understood. The main hypothesis of this study is that a standardized oral structure and function profile can improve the explanation of central arterial stiffness beyond established cardiovascular risk factors and lifestyle-related health metrics (INN.HEALTH study). Central arterial stiffness will be assessed using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, a marker of vascular ageing and cardiovascular risk. Participants will undergo a single oral assessment during Visit 4 of the INN.HEALTH study. The assessment includes screening of oral health status, dentition, bite force, tongue pressure, chewing efficiency, chewing and swallowing performance, questionnaires on oral health-related quality of life and food avoidance, and measurement of masseter muscle thickness. The study does not involve any treatment. The results may help clarify whether oral structural and functional markers can contribute to future vascular risk assessment and prevention strategies in the general adult population.

Stroke is a leading cause of death and long-term disability worldwide. Despite substantial advances in acute stroke care, there remains a lack of evidence-based digital solutions to support patients after hospital discharge. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a digital health application (StrokeApp) designed to support patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in secondary prevention and recovery. In this multicenter, randomized, controlled, open-label trial, 500 patients will be assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either standard care alone or standard care in combination with StrokeApp. The primary objective is to assess the impact of the application on health-related quality of life three months after discharge. Secondary and exploratory outcomes include health literacy, medication adherence, vascular risk factors, health-related behaviors, psychosocial outcomes, long-term recovery up to twelve months, as well as safety and user experience.

The goal of this neurorehabilitation explorative study is to investigate how a closed-loop Brain-Computer Interface Functional Electrical Stimulation (BCI-FES) therapy, used within the intended purpose for hand rehabilitation, may impact swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) and language disorders (aphasia) in post-stroke patients.

The primary goal of this single-centre. single-arm, unblinded, pre-post interventional study is to evaluate whether a one-time health assessment and intervention affects the overall vascular health evaluated through the Life's Essential 8 overall vascular health score. Secondary goals of this study are, among others: * to describe incidence and prevalence of vascular risk-factors and behaviours * to explore prevalence and associations of health and disease in the general population with special focus on cardiovascular risk, cardiovascular diseases, markers of vascular health, signs and (prodromal) symptoms of neurodegeneration as well as psychosocial factors * to explore the prevalence of hearing disorders in the general population * to collect voice and speech samples to identify novel biomarkers that correlate to vascular health and/or hearing status