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Randomized Trial to Examine a Differential Therapeutic Response in Symptomatic Patients With Non-obstructive Coronary Artery Disease

First Prospective Randomized Trial to Examine a Differential Therapeutic Response in Symptomatic Patients With Non-obstructive Coronary Artery Disease After Coronary Physiological Testing

Status
UNKNOWN
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05294887
Acronym
EXAMINE-CAD
Enrollment
132
Registered
2022-03-24
Start date
2022-03-04
Completion date
2024-06-30
Last updated
2022-03-24

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Coronary Artery Disease, Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction, Microvascular Angina, Prinzmetal Angina, Vasospasm, Coronary, Vasospastic Angina

Keywords

Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction, Microvascular Angina, Coronary Vasospasm, Vasospastic Angina, Beta Blocker, Calcium Channel Blocker

Brief summary

EXAMINE-CAD-DZHK22 is a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial investigating the efficacy of beta blocker (bisoprolol) and calcium channel blocker (diltiazem) therapy in symptomatic patients with non-obstructed coronary arteries according to coronary physiological testing results.

Detailed description

Patients presenting with recurrent angina but non-obstructed coronary arteries are increasingly recognized and have a high morbidity and symptomatic burden. These patients are often misdiagnosed and discharged without further investigation or treatment. Current European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for the management of patients with chronic coronary syndromes recommend beta blockers or calcium channel blockers, depending on the presence of abnormal vasodilatation or abnormal vasoconstriction. Scientific evidence to support this recommendation, however, is scarce and no randomized clinical trial of this differential therapy has been performed in these patients. The aim of the EXAMINE-CAD-DZHK22 trial is therefore to compare for the first time the efficacy of beta blocker (bisoprolol) and calcium channel blocker (diltiazem) therapy in reducing angina symptoms in symptomatic patients with non-obstructed coronary arteries according to coronary physiology testing results. This study is the first to investigate whether coronary physiology testing can guide therapeutic management of these patients depending on whether abnormalities of vasodilatation or vasoconstriction are present. The EXAMINE-CAD-DZHK22 trial will thus fill an important knowledge and evidence gap in the treatment of these highly symptomatic patients, and has the potential to pave the way for future large-scale clinical trials in symptomatic patients with non-obstructed coronary arteries.

Interventions

DRUGBisoprolol

beta-adrenergic receptor blocker

DRUGDiltiazem

calcium channel blocker

DRUGPlacebo

Placebo

Sponsors

Deutsches Zentrum für Herz-Kreislauf-Forschung (DZHK)
CollaboratorOTHER
Charite University, Berlin, Germany
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Masking description

Subjects will be randomly assigned to 1 of 6 possible treatment sequences. All treatment sequences will include the consecutive treatment with bisoprolol, diltiazem, and placebo.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 85 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Age 18 - 85 years * Recurrent angina symptoms provoked by exercise and/or repeated attacks of angina at rest (both at least for 4 weeks) * Absence of flow-limiting coronary artery stenosis (as defined by any coronary artery diameter reduction \>50% or fractional flow reserve ≤0.80) * Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) \>50% * Written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

* Pregnancy, planned pregnancy, or breast-feeding * Female patients of childbearing potential who are unwilling to use a highly effective contraception method during trial participation according to CTFG. In addition, a negative serum or urine pregnancy test must be available prior to randomization. * Expected life expectancy \<1 year * Contraindications to withholding nitrates, calcium channel blockers, and beta blockers for 48 hours before invasive coronary reactivity testing (e.g. clinical need for rate control in case of permanent atrial fibrillation, recurrent angina symptoms without any possibility to wihthold ongoing medication) * Known hypersensitivity or contraindication to bisoprolol or diltiazem or any of its excipients. * Concomitant therapy with systemic drugs that are strong inhibitors of both CYP3A4 and P-gp (azole antimycotics such as ketoconazole and itraconazole or HIV protease inhibitors such as ritonavir) * Concomitant therapy with drugs that are strong CYP3A4 inducers (e.g. carbamazepine, phenytoin, rifampicin, St. John's wort) * Bradycardia (\<50/min) at time of randomization * Symptomatic hypotension (\<100 mmHg) at time of randomization * Cardiogenic shock * Second and third degree atrioventricular block, sick sinus syndrome, sinoatrial block * Severe valvular heart disease (grade III) * Any cardiomyopathy including those with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) * Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease * Severe bronchial asthma * Metabolic acidosis at time of randomization * Renal failure (creatinine \>2.0 mg/dL) * N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) \>300 ng/L * Known significant liver disease (e.g. acute hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis) which is associated with moderate or severe hepatic impairment (alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and/or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≥2.0 upper limit of normal (ULN)) * Untreated pheochromocytoma * Late stage of peripheral arterial disease or Raynaud's syndrome * Participation in another clinical trial according to AMG or MPG at the time of randomization and the duration of this trial * Patients who are unwilling to consent to saving and propagation of pseudonymized medical data for study reasons * Persons who are legally detained in an official institution * Persons likely to not be available to complete all protocol-required study visits or procedures, and/or to comply with all required study procedures to the best of patient's and investigator's knwoledge * Persons who may dependent on the Sponsor, the Investigator or the trial sites, are not eligible to enter the trial * Active coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at time of randomization

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in angina symptom severity as measured by the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) summary score from each period specific baseline to the end of this period (week 4)from each period specific baseline to the end of this period, i.e. baseline and 4 weeks; 6 weeks and 10 weeks; 12 weeks and 16 weeksAssessment of angina symptom severity as measured by the SAQ summary score resulting from the SAQ physical limitation scale, SAQ angina frequency scale, and SAQ quality of life scale. The score ranges from 0 to 100, with the lower the score, the higher the symptom severity and limitations.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Angina diary (nitroglycerin use per week))from each period specific baseline to the end of this period, i.e. baseline and 4 weeks; 6 weeks and 10 weeks; 12 weeks and 16 weeksAssessment of need for nitroglycerine
SAQ angina stability scalefrom each period specific baseline to the end of this period, i.e. baseline and 4 weeks; 6 weeks and 10 weeks; 12 weeks and 16 weeksIndividual SAQ domain to evaluate the disease-specific health status with quantification of patients' symptoms of angina. The score ranges from 0 to 100, with the lower the score, the higher the symptom severity and limitations.
SAQ angina frequency scalefrom each period specific baseline to the end of this period, i.e. baseline and 4 weeks; 6 weeks and 10 weeks; 12 weeks and 16 weeksIndividual SAQ domain to evaluate the disease-specific health status with quantification of patients' symptoms of angina. The score ranges from 0 to 100, with the lower the score, the higher the symptom severity and limitations.
SAQ treatment satisfaction scalefrom each period specific baseline to the end of this period, i.e. baseline and 4 weeks; 6 weeks and 10 weeks; 12 weeks and 16 weeksIndividual SAQ domain to evaluate the disease-specific treatment satisfaction. The score ranges from 0 to 100, with the higher the score, the higher the treatment satisfaction.
SAQ physical limitation scalefrom each period specific baseline to the end of this period, i.e. baseline and 4 weeks; 6 weeks and 10 weeks; 12 weeks and 16 weeksIndividual SAQ domain to evaluate the disease-specific health status with quantification of patients' symptoms of angina and the extent to which their angina affects their functioning. The score ranges from 0 to 100, with the lower the score, the higher the symptom severity and limitations.
SAQ quality of lifefrom each period specific baseline to the end of this period, i.e. baseline and 4 weeks; 6 weeks and 10 weeks; 12 weeks and 16 weeksIndividual SAQ domain to evaluate the disease-specific health status with the extent to which their angina affects their quality of life. The score ranges from 0 to 100, with the higher the score, the higher the quality of life.
Angina diary (Angina episodes per week)from each period specific baseline to the end of this period, i.e. baseline and 4 weeks; 6 weeks and 10 weeks; 12 weeks and 16 weeksAssessment of angina frequency
Rose dyspnea scalefrom each period specific baseline to the end of this period, i.e. baseline and 4 weeks; 6 weeks and 10 weeks; 12 weeks and 16 weeksAssessment of patients' dyspnea level with common activities. Scores range from 0 to 4, where 0 indicates no dyspnea with activity and 4 indicates significant limitations due to dyspnea.
Quality of Life (Short Form 36 health survey questionnaire)from each period specific baseline to the end of this period, i.e. baseline and 4 weeks; 6 weeks and 10 weeks; 12 weeks and 16 weeksEvaluation of health-related quality of life
Psychological symptoms as assessed by Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)from each period specific baseline to the end of this period, i.e. baseline and 4 weeks; 6 weeks and 10 weeks; 12 weeks and 16 weeksAssessment of symptoms for depression in patients with physical illness or physical complaints
Psychological symptoms as assessed by the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS))from each period specific baseline to the end of this period, i.e. baseline and 4 weeks; 6 weeks and 10 weeks; 12 weeks and 16 weeksAssessment of symptoms for depression and anxiety in patients with physical illness or physical complaints
Functional capacity as assessed by bicycle exercise testingfrom baseline (visit 1) to the end of each treatment period (4 weeks, 10 weeks, 16 weeks)Assessment of functional capacity in bicycle exercise testing (i.e. maximum load capacity in watt)
Duke Activity Status Index (DASI)from each period specific baseline to the end of this period, i.e. baseline and 4 weeks; 6 weeks and 10 weeks; 12 weeks and 16 weeksAssessment of functional capacity of patients with cardiovascular disease

Countries

Germany, Switzerland

Contacts

Primary ContactAslihan Erbay, MD
examine-cad@charite.de+49 30 450 513 653

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026