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A sharper MRI lens for hidden heart danger

NCT ID NCT03504956

Diagnosis Sponsor: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Aug 21, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026

Summary

This study is testing a new MRI technique called CATCH to improve how doctors evaluate coronary atherosclerosis—the buildup of plaque in heart arteries. The goal is to make the scan faster, simpler, and more reliable than current methods, especially for identifying 'hot spots'—plaque areas that may be at higher risk of causing problems. The study will include both healthy volunteers and patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease, comparing the new technique's accuracy in measuring plaque and vessel narrowing.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Cardiac MRI with optional contrast agent (Gadavist) and beta-blocker (metoprolol)
What this could lead to
If successful, this could lead to a quicker, more reliable MRI scan to identify dangerous coronary plaque, potentially improving heart attack risk assessment.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage imaging study, so the technique may not prove more effective than current methods. MRI has limitations and some people cannot undergo it due to implants or other contraindications.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 150 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jul 2018

Expected to finish

Dec 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion: * Healthy Volunteers: male or female ≥ 18 years of age with a BMI\<30, with no history of cardiovascular disease * Patients: Medically stable, male or female ≥ 18 years of age who is have not suspected of having or has been diagnosed with coronary artery disease and undergone stenting or bypass surgery Exclusion: * Contraindications to MR imaging including mechanically, magnetically, or electrically activated implants, ferromagnetic implants and ferromagnetic foreign bodies, pregnancy. * Inability to tolerate MR imaging secondary to an inability to hold breath for a short time or have claustrophobia. * Non-compliant with visit instructions, including following procedure instructions * Severe allergy to animal dander or animal-instigated asthma * Specific to gadolinium-based contrast agents: Renal function test does not meet CSMC standard of care MRI contrast protocol requirements (GFR \<45ml/min) or previous allergic reaction to gadolinium-based contrast agents.\* * Volunteers who have had four or more prior previous gadolinium contrast scan

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

coronary artery disorder coronary atherosclerosis

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Coronary atherosclerosis

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

    RECRUITING

    Los Angeles, California, 90048, United States

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