An interventional study of Exercise MRI in Aortic Aneurysm, sponsored by The Cleveland Clinic. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-01-02.
Sponsored by The Cleveland Clinic · Not applicable, Interventional, and Diagnostic
Aortic aneurysm patients benefit from exercise yet patients and physicians do not know a safe level. Cardiac MRI (CMR) is the most comprehensive imaging modality for phenotypic evaluation of patients with cardiac disease but it has not been used to study aneurysm patients. The purpose of this project is use exercise CMR to understand regional aortic function and quantify aortic elasticity in these populations while exercising. This project will correlate the exercise CMR data with the biomechanical properties of the patient's aortic tissue, including epiaortic ultrasound and TEE performed during aortic repair, and explanted aortic specimens subjected to ex vivo uniaxial tensile testing. Correlating this data with aortic response to exercise will allow us to understand how aortic size, in vivo circumferential strain values, ex vivo aortic efficiency and mechanical failure all relate to exercise physiology.
Engaging in regular exercise in controls lowers blood pressure over time, and this is associated with a lower risk of future aortic complications. However, it is not known what level of exercise is safe for aneurysm patients.
Cardiac MRI (CMR) is the most comprehensive imaging modality for phenotypic evaluation of patients with cardiac disease. It has been limited in its use because exercise stress MRI is not widely available due to the need for MRI safe exercise equipment. However, the Cleveland Clinic has purchased a Lode MRI compatible exercise ergometer that is FDA approved and compatible with our 3T cardiac MRI scanner.
By conducting a study using this imaging modality we will be able to observe aortic blood flow, specifically compliance, distensibility, maximum rates of systolic distension and diastolic recoil, at different locations along the ascending and descending aorta, as well as aortic pulse wave velocity. A more comprehensive analysis of these variables will be critical to understanding how the aorta responds during times of stress in aneurysm patients.
222 studies on the registry are indexed under Aortic Aneurysm; 63 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 35 is below the median of 62 across 101 interventional studies indexed under Aortic Aneurysm.
Browse Aortic Aneurysm studies →The Cleveland Clinic is the lead sponsor of 831 studies on the registry; 119 are open to participants now.
Of its 90 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 73 (81%) have results posted.
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Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Healthy controls for baseline comparison
Aneurysm patients who have not yet been operated on but are currently being monitored
Pre-operative aneurysm patients: imaged pre-operatively and 12 months
Exclusion Criteria:
For all patients:
for MRI
Specific Exclusion Criteria:
Healthy controls for baseline comparison
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Exercise MRI
Diagnostic Test: Exercise MRI
Exercise MRI
Diagnostic Test: Exercise MRI
Exercise MRI
Diagnostic Test: Exercise MRI
Exercise stress MRI with ergometer
Arterial Compliance
Absolute change in arterial volume for a change in pressure
Time frame: up to 12 months
Plan to share: No
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