CHARLOTTE, NC
Coronary Artery Disease Clinical Trials
11 paid heart and artery studies are enrolling near Charlotte NC. Free heart imaging, free study medicine, and no insurance needed. Compensation is provided for eligible participants.
11
Enrolling Now
6
Inside Charlotte
+/- $100
Per Visit
New here? Read how this page works
First, this is the biggest list on our whole site. Also, each card says who it wants, whether there is a placebo, and how many visits it really takes. So here is the fastest way through it.
- Start with the groups. Because the three headings below sort out most people before they read a single card.
- Check your dates. Notably, two studies can only take you within 10 or 14 days of a procedure.
- Then read the visit line. These range from a single visit to about eleven, and that matters more than how long the study runs.
- Finally, tap Check eligibility on the one that fits. Not sure? Then use the button at the bottom and we check you against all 11.
Of course, checking never signs you up for anything. You are only seeing where you might fit.
The 11 Heart Artery Studies Enrolling Near Charlotte
Every one is open today and checked this week. However, they are not interchangeable, so the groups below matter.
Drug studies enrolling now
All five add something to the medicines you already take. Also, one of them has no placebo at all.
A Twice a Year Shot Started Right After Your Stent
Duke University with Novartis / Drug
Inclisiran is a shot given about twice a year that lowers bad cholesterol. This tests starting it right after you get a stent, instead of waiting months.
Est. $700 to $900 or so, across about 7 to 9 visits
See if you fit →More details
Why researchers are excited: most people leave the cath lab under treated for cholesterol, and this closes that gap on the same day.
Who this study is looking for
- Adults 18 and older
- Also, you had a heart stent or a leg artery procedure in the last 14 days
- Besides that, the procedure was for symptoms from clogged arteries
- Finally, any staged parts of the procedure are already finished
Probably not a fit if: another artery procedure is already planned, or you use a shot like Repatha or Praluent, or you have had inclisiran before.
- Placebo group: Yes, half get salt water shots instead. However, your own doctor keeps managing all your usual medicines.
- How long: About 4 years, with roughly 3 years on the drug.
- Clinic visits: About 7 to 9, and the schedule is published. Dosing is day 1, month 3, then every 6 months. Also, day 1 happens right after the procedure you were already having.
- Phone calls: Some contact is likely remote, because this is run as a practical study.
- Most invasive part: Just a shot under the skin. Notably, the stent or leg procedure itself was standard care you were having anyway.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: Novant Health Heart and Vascular Institute, Charlotte NC 28204, and Mecklenburg Heart Specialists, Charlotte NC 28207.
- Read this first: the 14 day window is strict. So this is one to ask about while you are still in hospital.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
A Weight Loss Type Shot to Prevent Heart Attacks
Amgen / Drug
This tests an injected weight loss medicine in people who already have artery disease and carry extra weight. The question is whether it prevents heart attacks and strokes, not just pounds.
Est. about $100 per visit. Ask the site for the total number of visits.
Check eligibility →More details
Why researchers are excited: weekly shots in this family already protect the heart, and this one is designed to be given far less often.
Who this study is looking for
- Adults 45 and older
- Also, BMI of 27 or higher
- Besides that, A past heart attack, a past stroke, or poor leg circulation with symptoms
- Finally, willing to keep taking your usual heart medicines alongside it
Probably not a fit if: you had a heart attack, stroke or artery procedure in the last 60 days, or you have used a shot like Ozempic or Mounjaro in the last 90 days.
- Placebo group: Yes, half get a dummy injection. However, it is added to your usual care, so nothing is taken away.
- How long: About 35 months of follow up.
- Clinic visits: At least 4 published check points, at the start, week 48, week 72 and the end. But the dosing schedule is not published, so ask the clinic for the real number.
- Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
- Most invasive part: A shot under the skin, plus blood draws.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: Novant Health Charlotte NC 28204, Monroe NC 28112, and Statesville NC 28625.
- Worth knowing: if you are on a weight loss shot today, you must be off it 90 days and stay off it. So that is a real trade.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
A Daily Pill Instead of a Cholesterol Shot
AstraZeneca / Drug
The strongest cholesterol drugs have only existed as injections until now. This tests a once daily tablet from that same family, to see if it prevents heart attacks and strokes.
Est. about $100 per visit. Ask the site for the total number of visits.
Check eligibility →More details
Why researchers are excited: a pill version would put the strongest cholesterol lowering in reach of far more people.
Who this study is looking for
- A heart attack or a stroke at least a month ago, or a leg artery procedure at any time
- Also, or artery narrowing on a scan, with high risk diabetes or other risk factors
- Besides that, if your LDL is 75 or higher, one extra risk factor such as diabetes or being 65 and older
- Finally, adults 18 and older
Probably not a fit if: your stroke was the small vessel or clot from the heart kind, rather than the artery narrowing kind. Also, a heart attack or stroke in the last month does not count.
- Placebo group: Yes, half get identical dummy tablets.
- How long: Up to about 4 and a half years, and it runs until enough events happen.
- Clinic visits: Not published on the public record. Every published time point simply reads up to 54 months, so ask the clinic rather than trusting an estimate here.
- Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
- Most invasive part: Blood draws. Otherwise the study drug is just a tablet.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: Research Site, Monroe NC 28112.
- Worth knowing: two more Charlotte sites are approved but have not opened yet. So Monroe is the only door in today.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
A Pill That Only Works for One Genetic Type
DalCor Pharmaceuticals / Drug
Dalcetrapib is a daily pill that changes how cholesterol moves through the blood. It only seems to help one genetic group, so a cheek or blood test comes first.
Est. $200 to $300 or so, because most check ins are virtual
See if you fit →More details
Why researchers are excited: it is one of the cleanest tests of precision heart care, giving a drug only to the group it appears to help.
Who this study is looking for
- Adults 45 and older
- Also, you were in hospital for a heart attack or unstable chest pain in the last 3 months
- Besides that, A genetic test shows you carry the AA type of the ADCY9 gene
- Finally, you are stable and already on cholesterol treatment
Probably not a fit if: you had bypass surgery after your heart attack, or your kidney function is under 30, or your liver tests are over 3 times normal.
- Placebo group: Yes, half get a dummy pill. However, you must already be on proper cholesterol treatment and you stay on it.
- How long: About 30 months on average, and it runs until enough events happen.
- Clinic visits: Possibly only 2 or 3 in person, which is unusually light. The record says follow ups every 3 months may be done as virtual visits where allowed. So the genetic blood draw and the start visit are the sure ones.
- Phone calls: Yes, and that is the point. Most quarterly check ins can be done by video.
- Most invasive part: A blood draw for the genetic test. Otherwise the study drug is a pill.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: Research Site, Rock Hill SC 29732.
- Read this first: roughly 4 in 5 people do not carry the required gene type. So expect the test to say no, and do not take it as bad news about your heart.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Two Proven Diabetes Drugs, Compared Head to Head
Brigham and Women’s Hospital / Drug
Two families of diabetes drug both protect the heart, but nobody has ever compared them directly. A coin flip decides which one you start, and both are real approved medicines.
Payment is not published. However, the visit burden is unusually light.
Check eligibility →More details
Why researchers are excited: doctors face this exact choice every day, and no drug company has any reason to pay for the answer.
Who this study is looking for
- Type 2 diabetes with an A1C of 6 or higher in the last year
- Also, adults 40 to 80 with proven artery disease
- Besides that, willing to fill the prescription through your own pharmacy benefit
- Finally, willing to stop your current drug from either family
Probably not a fit if: your insurance will not cover the drug, or your kidney function is under 45, or your heart pump is under 40 percent.
- Placebo group: None at all. Instead, everybody gets a real approved drug, and you know exactly which one.
- How long: About 3 years on average.
- Clinic visits: Likely just 1 enrolment visit, plus your normal care. The record publishes no scheduled study visits at all, because your own doctors keep managing everything.
- Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
- Most invasive part: Nothing beyond routine blood draws.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: Atrium Health Family Medicine Research, Charlotte NC 28207.
- Worth knowing: the study does not give you free medicine. So your insurance has to cover it, and that is a written rule.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Procedures rather than pills
These involve a catheter, not a tablet. So read the invasive line on each one carefully before you call.
A Medicine Coated Balloon Instead of a Metal Stent
Boston Scientific / Device
Normally a blocked heart artery gets a permanent metal stent left inside it. This tests a balloon coated in medicine that opens the artery, delivers the drug, then comes back out.
Payment is not published. Ask the clinic, because the procedure itself is standard care.
See if you fit →More details
Why researchers are excited: leaving no metal behind could mean less time on blood thinners and fewer problems inside the artery years later.
Who this study is looking for
- Adults 18 and older
- Also, you are already scheduled for a heart artery procedure
- Besides that, the blockage is new, in a natural artery, and has never been treated
- Finally, the artery opens properly with a plain balloon first
Probably not a fit if: the blockage is inside an old stent or a bypass graft, or the artery is fully blocked, or your heart pump is under 30 percent, or you are on dialysis.
- Placebo group: No placebo and no fake procedure. Instead, both groups get a real treatment, either the coated balloon or today’s standard stent.
- How long: Main result at 12 months, with follow up running to 2032.
- Clinic visits: Only the 12 month check is published, on top of the procedure itself. However, the study runs to 2032, so expect yearly follow up. Ask the clinic for the real schedule.
- Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
- Most invasive part: A heart catheter procedure through the wrist or groin. Also, you must tolerate the artery being blocked for at least 30 seconds.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte NC 28204.
- Worth knowing: there are two side studies, one with extra blood draws and one with a camera wire inside the artery. So ask which you are being offered.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
A Small Implant for Chest Pain Nothing Else Has Fixed
Shockwave Medical / Device
This is for constant chest pain when a stent or bypass is not an option. A small hourglass shaped device is placed in a vein to push more blood into the starved part of the heart.
Est. $1,000 or so, across about 10 to 11 visits
See if you fit →More details
Why researchers are excited: for people with no options left, this is one of very few ideas being tested properly rather than just offered.
Who this study is looking for
- Adults over 18
- Also, at least 90 days of severe chest pain despite full medication
- Besides that, you have tried full doses of at least 3 of the 4 anti angina drug families
- Finally, A heart team has decided a stent or bypass is not right for you
Probably not a fit if: your main problem is breathlessness rather than chest pain, or you had a heart attack in the last 30 days, or you cannot take two blood thinners for 6 months.
- Placebo group: Yes, and it is a fake procedure rather than a pill. Half go through the whole catheter procedure with nothing implanted, and you would not know which for months.
- How long: Main result at 6 months, with follow up to 5 years.
- Clinic visits: About 10 to 11, and the schedule is well documented. Two treadmill tests before you start, the procedure day, 30 days, 6 months, 12 months, then once a year to 5 years.
- Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
- Most invasive part: The heaviest on this page. A catheter goes in through a neck vein to place a permanent metal device, plus repeated treadmill stress tests.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: Novant Health, Charlotte NC 28204.
- Read this twice: on the day, if your vein measures outside a narrow size range, you are not randomised. Also, no MRI is allowed within 8 weeks of the procedure.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Opening the Small Arteries Below the Knee
Acotec Scientific / Device
This is for leg circulation so poor that you have pain at rest or a wound that will not heal. It compares a balloon coated in medicine against a plain balloon, both of which open the artery.
Est. $900 or so, across about 9 visits
See if you fit →More details
Why researchers are excited: arteries below the knee close up again fast, and solving that would directly prevent amputations.
Who this study is looking for
- Adults 18 and older
- Also, rest pain or a small wound from poor leg circulation
- Besides that, the blockage sits below the knee and above the ankle
- Finally, blood still reaches the foot through at least one artery
Probably not a fit if: an amputation above the toes is already planned, or you are on dialysis, or you cannot walk on your own.
- Placebo group: No dummy treatment. Instead, both groups get their artery opened, one with a coated balloon and one with a plain one.
- How long: Main result at 12 months, with follow up to 5 years.
- Clinic visits: About 9, and the schedule is consistent across the record. The procedure, then 1 month, 3, 6, 12, then yearly to 5 years. Also, the wound is looked at in person each time in the first year.
- Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
- Most invasive part: A catheter and balloon in the arteries below the knee, with X ray dye and repeated ultrasound checks.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: South Charlotte General and Vascular Surgery, Charlotte NC 28278.
- Worth knowing: many decisions happen on the table. So you can be prepped and still not be randomised if the artery does not open cleanly enough.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
A New Kind of Clot Blocker After Leg Surgery
Regeneron / Drug
After a leg artery procedure, clots are the danger, but blood thinners cause bleeding. This tests antibodies that block one clotting protein, hoping to stop clots without the bleeding.
Est. about $100 per visit. Ask the site for the total number of visits.
See if you fit →More details
Why researchers are excited: blocking this one protein is the best attempt in decades at separating clot prevention from bleeding risk.
Who this study is looking for
- Adults 18 and older
- Also, A successful leg artery procedure in the last 10 days
- Besides that, at least one extra clot risk, such as a graft, a stent, or diabetes on medicine
- Finally, you are not already required to be on long term blood thinners
Probably not a fit if: you need ongoing blood thinners anyway, or you have a bleeding disorder, or you have had a brain bleed.
- Placebo group: Yes, and there is also a real comparison drug. So depending on the group, you may get an antibody, a placebo, or rivaroxaban.
- How long: About 42 months, with safety follow up to about 45.
- Clinic visits: Not published in full. The clotting tests run to about week 9, which points to a cluster of early visits. But everything after that simply reads up to 42 months.
- Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
- Most invasive part: Repeated blood draws and study drug doses. Notably, the leg procedure itself happens before you enrol.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: Accellacare of Piedmont, Mooresville NC 28117.
- Worth knowing: only about 13 sites run this in the whole country, and Mooresville is one. Still, the 10 day window is tight, so ask fast.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
If you have not been diagnosed yet
These two are different. One is for people who have never had a heart attack, and the other is a scan study for chest pain with no answer yet.
Lowering an Inherited Blood Fat Statins Do Not Touch
Amgen / Drug
Lp(a) is a blood fat you inherit, and no approved medicine lowers it. This tests a shot that does, in people at high risk who have not had a heart attack yet.
Est. about $100 per visit. Ask the site for the total number of visits.
See if you fit →More details
Why researchers are excited: there is no approved drug for this risk factor at all, so this is a genuinely first of its kind test.
Who this study is looking for
- Adults 50 and older
- Also, A blood test showing Lp(a) of 200 or higher
- Besides that, several heart risk factors, or plaque seen on a scan
- Finally, you have NOT had a heart attack or a stroke
Probably not a fit if: you have already had a heart attack, a stroke, a mini stroke, a stent or a bypass. So this is the one study here that rules out people with a history.
- Placebo group: Yes, half get a dummy shot. However, you keep every heart and cholesterol medicine you already take.
- How long: Up to about 6 years.
- Clinic visits: Only 3 are published, at the start, week 48 and the end. But it is an injected drug, so the real number is higher. Ask the clinic for the dosing schedule.
- Phone calls: Not published on the public record.
- Most invasive part: A shot under the skin, plus blood draws.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: Monroe NC 28112 and Piedmont Healthcare, Statesville NC 28625.
- Read this first: most people arriving here have already had something happen, and that rules them out. Still, if you have a strong family history and no event yet, this may be exactly your study.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
A Better Way to Read a Heart Scan for Chest Pain
Brigham and Women’s Hospital / Imaging
When you have chest pain, doctors look at MRI pictures of blood flow to the heart. This adds an exact number to those pictures, to see if the number predicts trouble better.
Payment is not published. However, it is a single visit, so ask what they offer.
See if you fit →More details
Why researchers are excited: if the number works, it could spare thousands of people an unnecessary heart catheter procedure.
Who this study is looking for
- Adults 35 to 85
- Also, chest pain or an EKG suggesting artery disease
- Besides that, your doctor has already sent you for a stress heart MRI
- Finally, you are at medium or high risk, from diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol or family history
Probably not a fit if: you cannot safely have an MRI, or you had a heart attack in the last 30 days, or you have severe valve disease.
- Placebo group: None at all. Instead, everybody gets the same scan, and nothing about your medicines changes.
- How long: 2 years of follow up.
- Clinic visits: Exactly 1 in person, and the record states it plainly. Everything after that is done by phone or email at 3 months, 12 months and 24 months.
- Phone calls: Yes, and that is the whole follow up. Three check ins over two years.
- Most invasive part: A heart MRI with a drip line, contrast dye and a medicine that briefly makes you feel flushed or short of breath.
- Setting: Outpatient.
- Where it runs: Atrium Health Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute, Charlotte NC 28204.
- Worth knowing: this is the lightest study on the page by far. Also, it is for suspected artery disease, so it fits the reader who does not have a diagnosis yet.
- Full study record: View on ClinicalTrials.gov →
Not sure which one fits you?
First, answer a few quick health questions. Then we check you against all 11 studies. No account, no paperwork.
See if I may fit one of these studies →What Is Actually Being Tested for Clogged Arteries
Four very different bets on the same problem.
Cholesterol Is Still the Main Event
Most drug studies here come back to lowering the fats that build plaque. However, they differ in how. One is a twice a year shot. Another is a daily tablet from a family that has only ever been injected. A third targets a blood fat you inherit, which statins do not touch at all. In short, the target is old and the delivery is what is new.
Timing Has Become the Experiment
Two studies here can only take you within days of a procedure. That is deliberate. Doctors know people leave the cath lab under treated, and then months pass. So these test whether starting on day one, rather than at the next appointment, changes what happens years later. As a result, they are the hardest ones to join, because the window closes fast.
Leaving Nothing Behind
Two device studies here share one idea. Instead of leaving a permanent metal stent inside the artery, a balloon coated in medicine opens it, treats it, and comes out. One tests that in the heart, and one below the knee. Notably, neither uses a fake treatment, so both groups get a real procedure.
When Nothing Else Is Left
One study is for chest pain that no stent or bypass can fix. It places a small device in a vein that drains the heart, which is an unusual idea. But it is also the only study here with a fake procedure, and half the people get one. So it is the most demanding option on this page, and it deserves a careful conversation.
The Ones That Barely Ask Anything
Not every study means a calendar full of visits. One here compares two approved diabetes drugs and is run through your own doctors and your own pharmacy. Meanwhile, another is a single MRI followed by three phone calls over two years. In fact, one drug study allows most of its check ins to be done by video.
Research Sites Near Charlotte
Several of these run heart artery studies today. But sites add new studies all the time. So it is worth knowing what sits near you.
Atrium Health
Multiple Charlotte locations / 161+ active studies
Crohn’s, Heart Failure, COPD, Dementia, Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension
Charlotte’s biggest health system. It is tied to Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Also, it runs far more trials than anyone else nearby.
Visit Website →
American Health Research Network
Ballantyne, NC 28277 / 25 to 30+ active studies
Asthma, COPD, Chronic Cough, Type 2 Diabetes
Led by Dr. Selwyn Spangenthal. It is the biggest private lung research group in Charlotte. Specifically, it has 4 offices: Charlotte, Rock Hill, Lake Norman, and Charleston.
Visit Website →
Monroe Biomedical Research
Monroe, NC / 17+ active studies
Asthma, COPD, Hypertension, Obesity, Ulcerative Colitis
Notably, one of the 5 busiest research sites in the country. Its 6,300 sq ft space can host overnight stays. It is also an SCRS Global Impact Partner.
Visit Website →
Clinical Research of Gastonia
Gastonia, NC / 11+ active studies
Asthma, COPD, Chronic Cough, Idiopathic Hypersomnia
Led by Dr. Anup Banerjee. Its 3,500 sq ft space sits next to CaroMont Regional Medical Center. Also, it has been running for over 10 years.
Visit Website →
OnSite Clinical Solutions
Ballantyne, NC 28277 / 10+ active studies
Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn’s, COPD, Heart Failure, Atopic Dermatitis
It works with Charlotte doctors in heart, gut, skin, nerve, and joint care. Besides, it runs studies from Phase I through Phase IV.
Visit Website →
Flourish Research
Matthews, NC 28105 / 4+ active studies
Alzheimer’s Disease, Early Alzheimer’s, Alzheimer’s-Related Psychosis
Led by Dr. M. Reza Bolouri. He has 20+ years in Alzheimer’s research. The site is an Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence. In fact, its network has finished 5,500+ trials.
Visit Website →
New Hope Clinical Research
SouthPark, NC 28211 / 4+ active studies
Major Depression, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder
Led by Dr. Kurian Abraham. It runs Phase I through IV studies and has 30 beds for overnight stays. Its last FDA audit came back clean. Also, it has finished 200+ brain studies.
Visit Website →
Queen City Clinical Research
SouthPark, NC 28211 / 2+ active studies
Chronic Pain, Chronic Migraine, Osteoarthritis
Led by Dr. Leonardo Kapural, a former Cleveland Clinic professor. Notably, he has written 200+ journal articles. On top of that, many call this the biggest pain research site in the country.
Visit Website →
Novant Health
Multiple Charlotte locations / Several active studies
Cardiovascular Disease, Obesity, Hypertension
One of the biggest health systems in the Carolinas. Its Heart and Vascular Institute runs heart studies and sees a lot of patients.
Visit Website →
DLVSC
4 Charlotte-area offices / 1+ active studies
Eczema, Psoriasis, Rosacea
Led by Dr. Gilly Munavalli. This award-winning skin practice owns 50+ FDA-approved lasers and devices. Also, it has its own research team.
Visit Website →
DelRicht Research
South Charlotte, NC 28210 / 1+ active studies
Bipolar Disorder, Bipolar Depression
Part of a national network of mental health research sites. Currently, it runs the azetukalner bipolar depression trial in Charlotte. Previously, it ran other mental health studies.
Visit Website →
TMS of the Carolinas
South Charlotte, NC 28210 / 1+ active studies
Major Depression, Treatment-Resistant Depression
A specialty site for brain stimulation care. It runs the fast TMS study that packs 6 weeks into 2.
Visit Website →What to Expect in a Heart Artery Study
New to studies? Here is how one works, step by step.
01
Prescreening
First comes a short phone call or online form. Also, it takes about 10 to 15 minutes. The staff check your history and what you already take. Then they book a visit.
02
Screening Visit
Next the clinic runs blood tests, an EKG, and sometimes a scan or a treadmill test. Also, they go through the consent form line by line, and you can stop at any point.
03
Treatment Period
Then the study begins. So you take the study drug, get the shot, or have the procedure. Meanwhile, your own cardiologist keeps managing everything else.
04
Follow-Up
Finally, the clinic follows you for months or years, sometimes by phone. Also, your own doctor gets the results, and you can withdraw at any point.
Heart Artery Trial FAQs
Real answers about coronary artery disease studies near Charlotte NC.
What counts as artery disease for these studies?
More than most people expect. A past heart attack, a past stent or bypass, or narrowing seen on a scan all count. Also, a past stroke counts for several of them, and so does cramping in your legs when you walk. So do not rule yourself out because you have never had a heart attack.
Will I have to stop my cholesterol medicine?
No. In every drug study here the study medicine is added on top of what you already take. In fact, several require you to be on proper cholesterol treatment before they will enrol you. The exception is the diabetes comparison study, which asks you to switch which of two classes you are on. Also, your own cardiologist keeps managing everything throughout.
Which of these are the easiest to do?
Three stand out. The heart MRI study is a single visit, then three phone calls over two years. Meanwhile, the diabetes comparison study runs through your own doctors and your own pharmacy. Also, the genetic pill study allows most check ins to be done by video. So a study does not have to mean a calendar full of appointments.
What is Lp(a) and should I know mine?
It is a blood fat you inherit, and it raises heart risk on its own. Statins do not lower it, and no approved medicine does yet. Also, most people are never tested, even after a heart attack. So it is worth asking your doctor for the test once, because the number does not really change over your life.
Which studies use a placebo?
Most of the drug studies do, but that means a dummy added to your real medicines. However, two studies have none at all, because both groups get a real approved treatment. The one to read carefully is the chest pain device study, where half get a fake catheter procedure. So that one is different in kind, not just in degree.
How many visits are we really talking about?
It ranges more than any other page on our site. The MRI study is 1 visit. The chest pain device study is about 10 or 11 across five years. Meanwhile, several records simply do not publish a schedule, and we say so on the card rather than guessing. So ask the clinic for the written schedule before you agree to anything.
What does within 14 days of a procedure mean?
Two studies here can only enrol you shortly after a stent or a leg artery procedure. One allows 14 days, and the other allows 10. So these are studies to ask about while you are still in hospital, not months later. In short, if a family member is having a procedure this week, that is the moment.
Do I need insurance?
For almost all of them, no. The study medicine and study visits are provided at no cost. However, the diabetes comparison study is the exception, because you fill the prescription through your own benefit. That study lists insurance coverage as a written eligibility rule. Also, you keep your own doctor throughout, and results are sent back to them.
What is a drug coated balloon?
It is a balloon that opens the artery and leaves medicine on the wall, then comes back out. So no permanent metal is left behind, unlike a stent. Two studies here test that idea, one in the heart and one below the knee. Notably, neither uses a fake treatment, so both groups get a real procedure.
Where can I get heart care near Charlotte NC?
Atrium Health Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute and Novant Health Heart and Vascular Institute both run cardiology across the metro. Also, ask for your most recent cholesterol numbers before you call any research clinic. Your primary care doctor can refer you. Meanwhile, ask whether your Lp(a) has ever been checked, because it usually has not.
Ready to Explore a Study?
Check your eligibility, or just reach out to our Charlotte team. No pressure. Also, no sales pitch.
← Back to All Clinical TrialsSources
- V-INTERVENTION inclisiran after revascularization, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06909565
- MariTide cardiovascular outcomes study, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07037433
- AZD0780 oral PCSK9 outcomes study, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07000357
- dal-GenE-2 dalcetrapib genotype study, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05918861
- PRECIDENTD SGLT2 versus GLP-1 comparison study, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05390892
- AGENT DCB STANCE drug coated balloon study, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06959524
- COSIRA-II coronary sinus reducer study, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05102019
- AcoArt Litos below the knee balloon study, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06330493
- ROXI-PALISADE factor XI antibody study, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07318610
- OCEAN(a)-PreEvent olpasiran study, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07136012
- SPINS2 stress cardiac MRI study, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06854458
Study details and per-site recruiting status verified against ClinicalTrials.gov on August 15, 2026. Study availability and criteria change; the research clinic confirms everything before you enroll.