Study of the Nervous Systems Role in Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection and Arterial Health

What this Trial Is About

This research compares the function of the sympathetic nervous system and arterial health, including artery structure and mechanics, between people who have had spontaneous coronary artery dissection SCAD and healthy individuals matched by age and sex. The study aims to understand differences in neurovascular function related to SCAD. It is sponsored by Mayo Clinic and is observational in nature without randomization or blinding. Participants with a history of SCAD and healthy control participants will undergo a series of diagnostic tests to assess neurovascular function. These tests include arterial tonometry to measure arterial stiffness, echocardiograms for heart ultrasound images, carotid ultrasounds to image the carotid artery, elastography to assess artery elasticity, ankle-brachial index to evaluate peripheral artery blood flow, and microneurography combined with stress maneuvers to measure sympathetic nerve activity. During the study, participants will have baseline assessments of arterial thickness, arterial stiffness, baroreflex sensitivity, and sympathetic responses to stress. The study monitors these parameters to better understand the neurovascular systems role in SCAD. Participation involves diagnostic testing without treatment intervention, and the study is expected to complete by August 2027.

A Study to Analyze the Role of Sympathetic Nervous System in Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection