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New cardiac study requires healthy volunteers
31 October 2022
Non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common cardiac condition affecting 1 in 250 people, and patients are at increased risk of sudden cardiac death due to dangerous heart arrhythmia. Studies have shown that DCM patients with midwall septal fibrosis (MSF), a structural abnormality seen on cardiac MRI scans, confers an even greater risk of sudden cardiac death. In our BHF-funded clinical research study “The arrhythmogenic potential of midwall septal fibrosis in non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy”, we will study the hearts of DCM patients with and without MSF and compare them to matched healthy volunteers. Using novel ECG-imaging techniques and advanced cardiac MRI sequences, we aim to reveal how midwall septal fibrosis perturbs cardiac electrophysiological activation, potentially leading to life-threatening arrhythmia. This has the potential to change the way we risk stratify DCM patients.
We are seeking healthy volunteers to be part of our study, which involves a 2 hour visit to our phenotyping centre at UCL Bloomsbury Centre for Clinical Phenotyping, Chenies Mews. Participants will undergo a cardiac MRI scan, an ECG-imaging recording, basic clinical tests and be asked to provide blood and urine samples. If you would like to take part in this study please read the participant information sheet and contact Dr Fiona Chan at f.chan@ucl.ac.uk.
