U of C in top ten of stroke study

By Rebecca Eras

The University of Calgary continues to place eighth among 110 centres across Canada and the U.S. in recruiting patients to take part in an international clinical study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The CREST—or Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy versus Stenting Trial—is a clinical study comparing the effectiveness of two procedures to treat stroke patients.

“Our holding the eighth spot in recruitment can be attributed in part to the advantage of a centralized Canadian health infrastructure, making it easier for patient referrals,” says Dr. Michael Hill, director of the clinical trials unit of the Calgary Stroke Program at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute. “But moreover, it’s thanks to the immense effort put forth by our teams in vascular and endovascular neurosurgery, the stroke unit, the vascular surgeons at Peter Lougheed Centre and others in the Calgary Stroke Program at the Department of Clinical Neurosciences.”

The two procedures being studied are carotid endarterectomy—a common operation to treat a blockage, or narrowing, of the carotid artery—and carotid artery stenting—a procedure that inserts a slender tube into the carotid artery to increase blood flow in areas blocked by plaque.

The CREST trial study compares the effectiveness of both procedures in preventing strokes, heart attack and death during the 30-day period after either procedure.

When a new patient is admitted to the clinic or hospital, those who have suffered an ischemic stroke or TIA (“mini-stroke”) are directed to the CREST study. This gives the patient an opportunity to benefit from specialized care as well as gain the altruistic benefits of helping to find the best approach for similar patients in the future.

Recruitment for the CREST trial is expected to last until mid-2008, or until 2,500 patients are recruited, with follow-up continuing thereafter for four years. There’s no limit to the number of patients able to participate per centre, and the University of Calgary has recruited an average of three patients per month.

Patients known to have carotid artery narrowing who may be potential candidates for the study can be referred through Hill’s office. For more information, contact Rebecca Eras, Communications, U of C Faculty of Medicine, (403) 210-6161.