Study of Exercise Effects on Aortic Aneurysm Using MRI and Tissue Analysis

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how exercise affects patients with aortic aneurysms, a condition where the aorta is enlarged and at risk of complications. The study uses exercise cardiac MRI CMR, an advanced imaging method, to assess how the aorta functions during exercise. The goal is to understand the relationship between aortic size, elasticity, and mechanical properties with exercise stress, which could help determine safe exercise levels for these patients. Participants include healthy controls, aneurysm patients being monitored, and pre-operative aneurysm patients scheduled for surgery. All groups undergo exercise MRI using an MRI-compatible exercise ergometer to measure blood flow, aortic compliance, distensibility, and other detailed heart and aorta function parameters during exercise. Pre-operative patients are imaged before surgery and again after 12 months. Participants will be involved in exercise MRI scanning sessions where their aortic function is measured under stress. Researchers will analyze arterial compliance over up to 12 months and correlate imaging data with tissue properties obtained during surgery from explanted aortic samples. The study includes safety screening for MRI compatibility and monitoring of exercise tolerance. The total involvement duration varies based on participant group and timing of follow-up imaging.

Exercise Physiology in Patients With Aortic Aneurysm and Its Correlation With Mechanical Properties of Aortic Tissue