For the last 3 weeks Steve has been taking an anti-coagulant to thin his blood, either Warfarin or Apixaban. A blood thinner is necessary because the atrial fibrillation causes pooling of his blood in the left ventricle of his heart. This can result in blood clots, which in turn can cause another stroke. If the blood is thinned, the chance of [...]

Thank you for your prayers regarding Steve’s last test. Everything went well with the colonoscopy and he was cleared to start the 3 1/2 yr. clinical trial with the anti-coagulant. On June 8 he received the first dose, but we don’t know if it was Coumadin or the experimental drug, Apixaban. All subsequent EKGs have shown that he [...]

There are certain requirements which must be met to be eligible to participate in a clinical study. These requirements are based on such factors as age, gender, the type and stage of a disease, previous and current treatments, and other medical conditions. Medical insurance is not required to participate in clinical studies or to receive [...]

Clinical research trials involve risks, time commitments and travel. Before you enroll in a clinical trial, you should ask the following questions:

What is the purpose of this clinical study?
How long will I be in the study?
How often will I need to go to my clinic/hospital?
What tests and procedures are involved?
Will my medical records remain confidential?
Is [...]

Researchers conduct clinical studies to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of investigational (experimental) drugs. Investigational drugs that are found to be safe and effective may then become available for doctors to prescribe. If an investigational drug is determined to be unsafe or ineffective, the study results may still be useful for scientists and for the [...]

According to ClinicalTrials.gov, there are multiple benefits and risks associated with participating in a clinical study.
Benefits
Clinical studies that are well-designed and well-executed are the best approach for eligible participants to:

Play an active role in their own health care
Gain access to new research treatments before they are widely available
Obtain expert medical care at leading health care [...]

Steve was just enrolled into a Phase III clinical trial being conducted by Bristol-Myers Squibb. This research study Protocol CV185030 (a.k.a. the Aristotle study) is for adults with atrial fibrillation or flutter and are at risk for having a stroke. The purpose of this clinical trial is to determine the safety and effectiveness of an investigational medication (Apixaban) compared to warfarin [...]

In the hour-long appointment we had with Steve’s new cardiologist, Dr. Rider, he addressed each one of Steve’s heart health issues, which included peripheral artery disease (PAD), coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure (CHF), and atrial fibrillation. He recommended that Steve take a stress test to determine the condition of his heart right now. He hasn’t had a stress test since 2000, [...]