AUGUST 19, 2016 BY MOLLY SKUBAK

Study Spotlight: ADAPTABLE

In 2014, heart disease led to 614,348 deaths, making it the leading cause of death in the United States once again. Today, an estimated 15.4 million Americans continue to live with heart disease.

Many of these patients are prescribed a daily dose of aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes. While this has been a common approach for the past 40 years, researchers have yet to determine the dose that most effectively treats patients while minimizing serious side effects like bleeding.

That’s where the ADAPTABLE study comes in. ADAPTABLE, or Aspirin Dosing: A Patient-Centric Trial Assessing Benefits and Long-Term Effectiveness, will compare two common doses of aspirin to see which is more effective in preventing heart attacks and strokes in patients with a history of heart disease. It is the first clinical trial conducted through the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network (PCORnet).

ADAPTABLE is a three-year national study funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and led by a team at Duke Clinical Research University. It will involve researchers, clinicians, and patients in eight PCORnet partner networks, including PaTH. The study will work with adult patients with coronary artery disease who are considered to be at elevated risk for heart attack or stroke due to certain factors such as being over the age of 65, having diabetes, or smoking.

Sandeep Jain, M.D., a UPMC cardiologist and researcher and PaTH’s co-Principal Investigator for ADAPTABLE, says patients will be identified through the electronic health record, working in coordination with their health care teams, and then contacted with information about the trial. Jain notes that the process in this trial is unique as it involves electronic consent, randomization via a central website, and electronic follow up every three to six months. Jennifer Kraschnewsi, M.D., a Penn State internist and researcher who is also co-leading PaTH’s work on the study, says ADAPTABLE recently completed the standard required ethics review process, and all participating sites have signed their contracts, so PaTH is “ready to get started.”

Researchers hope to enroll 20,000 patients nationwide and will consider the benefits and side effects overall as well as in terms of patients’ gender, age, ethnicity, race, and other medical conditions.

Because heart disease is so prevalent, causing one in four deaths in the United States alone, the study could have a big impact on health. In fact, the researchers estimate that determining which aspirin dose is most effective could prevent up to 88,000 deaths around the world each year.

«—- Back To News

GET THESE NEWS UPDATES IN YOUR INBOX

Stay in touch with the PaTH Network with news and updates in your inbox.

PaTH Network Logo
Twitter Logo Facebook Logo LinkedIn Logo YouTube Logo

Copyright 2016 | PaTH Network