Study Type
Interventional - Procedure
ongoing
BRAVE is testing bariatric surgery, versus medical weight management, in severely obese patients (BMI 35 or higher) who have cardiovascular disease including heart failure.
Bariatric surgery is expected expected to reduce weight by 40 kg. on average.
Primary outcome will be major CV events, including HF at 5 years.
In a subset of 200 individuals, we will test its’ impact on cardiac structure and function by echocardiography.
This trial will establish whether weight reduction in obese individuals can reduce HF development or progression.
BRAVE is part of the CHF Alliance, a pan-Canadian heart failure research network.
Study Design
Open-label, parallel-arm RCT
NO. of Countries
6
NO. of Sites
50
NO. of Participants
2000
Study Period
2021 - 2027
Sponsor
PHRI
Jorge Wong
Scientist
Jorge Wong
Scientist
Jorge Wong is a cardiologist and cardiac electrophysiologist at Hamilton Health Sciences, as well as a scientist in the Arrhythmia and Heart Failure program at PHRI. His research interests focus primarily on the intersection between atrial fibrillation and heart failure, atrial fibrillation epidemiology and catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation. He holds research grants from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, and Hamilton Health Sciences.
He obtained his MD at McMaster, followed by his internal medicine and cardiology training at the University of Western Ontario. Jorge subsequently completed his clinical electrophysiology fellowship at the University of Calgary and at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He has a Master of Public Health degree from the Harvard School of Public Health, and is currently pursuing his PhD in Health Research Methods at McMaster.
Tara McCready
Program Director
Tara McCready
Program Director
Tara McCready, PhD, oversees a variety of collaborative programs at PHRI, and serves as Project Manager for PHRI research studies and registries.
She was recruited to PHRI as a Program Director for the Canadian Network and Centre for Trials Internationally (CANNeCTIN), a national network funded by the CIHR/CFI Clinical Research Initiative program to improve the prevention and treatment of cardiac and vascular diseases and diabetes.
Previously the Executive Director of the Canadian Maternal, Infant, Child and Youth Research Network, Tara holds a PhD in Biochemistry and a MBA in Technology Commercialization from the University of Alberta.
Stephanie Hall
Senior Research Coordinator
Stephanie Hall
Senior Research Coordinator
Stephanie Hall has more than 25 years of experience working in research for McMaster University. With PHRI since 2006, she has managed multiple large international trials. In her current role, she coordinates various studies in diabetes care. Stephanie has a business degree, and a degree in Health Care Administration.
