Could heart disease start outside the heart? new imaging study aims to find out
NCT ID NCT07604207
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This early-stage study will use advanced PET scans to look at how the brain and body work together in people with and without heart disease. Researchers want to see if blood flow and energy use in different organs change during physical or mental stress. The goal is to better understand how heart disease might begin outside the heart itself.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- 18F-FDG (a radioactive tracer used in PET scans)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help doctors understand how heart disease may start outside the heart, potentially leading to earlier detection or new treatment targets.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small study (60 people) focused on measuring responses, not treating disease. It may not lead to direct clinical benefits or apply to broader populations.
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
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Early phase 1
The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.
- Participants
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About 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jul 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2031
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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 Criteria: * Adults aged 18 years and older * For patients with cardiovascular disease: Documented diagnosis of ischemic heart disease based on standard clinical, radiologic, and/or histopathologic criteria, as documented in the medical record; or a clinical nuclear cardiac stress PET test within 1 year. * For healthy subjects: No diagnosis of cardiometabolic disease, cancer, or other major disease within the past 5 years Exclusion Criteria: * Contraindications to PET due to: 1. Research-related radiation exposure exceeding current MGB Radiology Department guidelines (i.e., 50 mSv in the prior 12 months); 2. Inability to lie comfortably on the bed inside the scanner; 3. Body weight \> 300 lbs (weight limit of the scanner table); 4. Pregnancy or breastfeeding; * Individuals with fasting plasma glucose level of \>200 mg/dL; * Claustrophobia * Employed under the direct supervision of the PI conducting the research.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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.
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