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NCT Number: NCT03999138

MRI Assessment of Pulmonary Edema in Acute Heart Failure

Researchers are testing a more accurate way to measure how much fluid is in the lungs (also called pulmonary edema, or "increased lung water") in people with Heart Failure (HF) using MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). There is little known about the exact level of lung water in patients with AHF or how these levels change from the time of hospital admission to discharge. The purpose of this research study is to measure the lung water in patients hospitalized for HF, to determine the change in lung water over the course of hospitalization and treatment, and to find out if lung water levels can predict if patients are higher or lower risk for returning to the hospital or dying from heart failure.

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Key information

Conditions

Acute Heart Failure Pulmonary Edema With Heart Failure

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

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About this study

Heart failure is a condition where the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs and Acute Heart Failure is a sudden worsening of this condition. It is associated with many symptoms but most commonly includes shortness of breath due to pulmonary edema (or increased "lung water").

A physical exam and chest x-ray are commonly used to diagnose AHF and estimate the amount of increased lung water in patients with AHF. This study will use images from MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scans to obtain a more accurate measurement of the increased lung water in AHF patients. Lung water will be measured via MRI at hospital admission and discharge to find out the change in lung water over the course of hospitalization and treatment. The investigators will collect NT-proBNP and perform a chest x-ray upon hospital admission and again upon discharge, if not already done as part of usual care. The investigators will follow medical records for up to 5 years after hospitalization to see if the accurate lung water measurements obtained in hospital can predict long term outcomes. This is a multi-centre project and a total of 300 patients will be recruited to participate.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • 18 years of age or older and willing/able to provide informed consent
  • patients being treated for acute heart failure (including those patients with both reduced and preserved ejection fraction)
  • patients receiving medical therapy for pulmonary edema by current standard of care (including oral or IV diuretics)
  • patients identified within 48 hours of initiation of medical therapy for pulmonary edema, defined as the time of first diuretic (IV or PO) or escalation of existing diuretic therapy administered within the ED or hospital

Exclusion criteria

  • contraindication to MRI
  • patient too critically ill/unstable as per the clinical care team for transport to MRI scanner within the required scanning window
  • moderate to severe dementia

Treatment and study plan

MRI

Diagnostic Test

MRI studies (non-contrast) will consist of a free-breathing localizer (~10 seconds) followed by a free-breathing yarnball water density scan, for a total MRI time of < 3 minutes.

Primary outcomes

  1. Magnitude of lung water density measured with MRI at Hospital Admission

    Time frame: Baseline (hospital admission)

    Lung water density (0-100%) is the fraction of lung tissue that contains water

  2. Difference in lung water density measured with MRI at hospital admission and hospital discharge

    Time frame: 7 days

    Absolute change in lung water density from baseline (hospital admission) to hospital discharge. Lung water density will be 0%-100% at each time point.

  3. Number and timing of clinical events and their statistical association with Outcome 1 (Magnitude of lung water density measured with MRI at Hospital Admission)

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Clinical events include cardiovascular hospitalization, cardiovascular emergency department visits or death

  4. Number and timing of clinical events and their statistical association with Outcome 2 (Difference in lung water density measured with MRI at hospital admission and hospital discharge)

    Time frame: Up to 5 years

    Clinical events include cardiovascular hospitalization, cardiovascular emergency

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Ian Paterson, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

613-696-7267

Poppy MacPhee, RN, BScN

CONTACT

[email protected]

613-696-7000 ext. 14646

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Alberta

Other

Collaborators

  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

Registry information

Acronym: MAP-AHF

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Jun 26, 2019
Registry last updated
May 8, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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