Study Type
Interventional - Drug
completed
The objective of the AF-HTN Pilot study was to compare current guideline-based treatment of blood pressure (target less than or equal to 140/90) to an aggressive treatment of blood pressure (target less than or equal to 120/80) for the prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients.
Patients with AF who have high blood pressure, from four clinical centres across Canada, were invited to participate in the study.
Patients were assigned to either usual care (blood pressure treated to the current guideline-based target of less than 140/90) or aggressive treatment (blood pressure treated to a level of less than 120/80), and had five visits during six months to achieve this target.
The outcome of this pilot phase was to determine the actual achieved blood pressure at 6 and 12 months in the two treatment groups, the difference in blood pressure between groups, the rate of adverse events (if any) in both groups and the feasibility of recruiting eligible study patients.
Study Design
Cohort study
NO. of Countries
1
NO. of Sites
4
NO. of Participants
10
Study Period
2010-2011
Sponsor
PHRI
Jeff Healey
Senior Scientist
Jeff Healey
Senior Scientist
Jeff Healey is a Cardiologist/Electrophysiologist and Professor of Medicine at McMaster University. He is Yusuf Chair and Director of Cardiology at McMaster University. He is the chair of the Canadian Stroke Prevention and Intervention Network (CSPIN) and past chair of the Canadian Atrial Fibrillation guidelines committee. He is also on the steering committee of the international AF Screen organization.
Healey was the lead author of the ASSERT trial that demonstrated the increased stroke risk associated with sub-clinical atrial fibrillation (New England Journal of Medicine 2012), and the principal investigator of the ARTESIA trial, which demonstrated that anticoagulation with apixaban reduced the risk of stroke in patients with sub-clinical atrial fibrillation New England Journal of Medicine 2023). He is also the principal investigator of the LAAOS-4 trial, evaluating the role of left atrial appendage occlusion on top of NOAC therapy for prevention of stroke in high-risk individuals with atrial fibrillation.
Ellison Themeles
Associate Program Manager
Ellison Themeles
Associate Program Manager
Ellison Themeles’ experience includes more than 20 years in the conduct, execution and management of large, international clinical trials involving both medical devices and pharmaceutical agents in the area of cardiovascular disease and arrhythmias.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Gerontology and Sociology, and a Master of Science Degree in Health Research Methodology, from McMaster University.
