Epicardial Cardiac Fat-CT (EPIC-CT)

Recruiting now · Phase 3

Conditions studied: STEMI - ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction, Epicardial Fat

In brief

Both globally and nationally, heart disease remains the leading cause of death overall and across genders, with ischemic heart disease being the primary cause. It is now understood that multiple risk factors contribute to the development of this condition, notably type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity, especially an increase in visceral fat. Among these, the role of epicardial fat volume in the presence of atheromatous plaques in patients with coronary artery disease has been emphasized, along with the link between its volume and the risk of ischemic cardiovascular events. Consequently, recent decades have seen focused research on the potential of epicardial fat as a marker for major adverse cardiac events and on strategies to reduce its volume as a treatment goal for patients with risk factors. Selective sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors are drugs that, beyond their antihyperglycemic effect, have demonstrated cardiovascular benefits through various mechanisms, including a reduction in epicardial fat. This was supported by a previous study conducted by our research group, although no statistically significant difference was found. On the other hand, GLP-1 agonists are effective drugs for weight control in patients with severe obesity. However, little research has been done on their effect on more localized fat, such as epicardial fat.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07297589

Run by

Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social

People needed

136

Starts

2025-12-30

Expected to finish

2027-03-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-01-02

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Criteria for the fourth definition of acute myocardial infarction with and without ST-segment elevation.
• Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
• Initial serum high-sensitivity CRP value > 2.0 mg/L.
• Clinically obese.
• LVEF >50%.

You may not qualify if…

• Patients who have recently received immunosuppressive therapy
• Patients with a history of ischemic heart disease
• Known allergy to any of the medications used
• Use of any of the study drugs more than 6 months prior to randomization
• Patients experiencing diabetic ketoacidosis
• Patients with hemodynamic instability (mean arterial pressure <60 mmHg while on vasopressors)
• Pregnant women
• Patients with a history or current diagnosis of cancer
• Patients with documented active infections, such as pneumonia or urinary tract infections
• Patients with pancreatitis

Where it is running

• Unidad Medica de Alta Especialidad No. 1, Bajío — León, Guanajuato, Mexico (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

Trial information comes from ClinicalTrials.gov and is refreshed daily. TrialsForMe does not provide medical care and does not run the studies it lists.