Better treatment options for type B aortic dissection
Official title: 2/2 IMPRroving Outcomes in Vascular DisEase - Aortic Dissection (IMPROVE-AD)
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11132820 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project compares adding early minimally invasive aortic repair (TEVAR) to usual medical care versus medical care with watchful waiting for people with uncomplicated type B aortic dissection.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | July 21, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $710,826 |
| NIH project number | 5U24HL165029-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11132820 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults diagnosed with uncomplicated type B aortic dissection of the descending aorta who are being managed medically and meet the study's eligibility rules would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with complicated dissections requiring immediate repair, those with type A dissection, or patients with severe comorbidities that make repair unsafe would likely not be eligible or benefit from this comparison.
What this research studies
If you have an uncomplicated type B aortic dissection, you could be enrolled at a participating U.S. hospital and randomly assigned to either medicines plus early thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) or medicines with regular monitoring and repair only if your condition worsens. The study aims to enroll about 1,100 people and follow them during hospitalization and afterward to track outcomes like survival, complications, and need for later procedures. Care and data collection will be handled by clinical and data coordinating centers at major hospitals working together across the country. The goal is to provide clear guidance on whether early TEVAR leads to better outcomes than a watchful-waiting approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the results could show whether early TEVAR reduces deaths and complications and help doctors choose the best care plan for uncomplicated type B aortic dissection.
How similar studies have gone: Smaller trials and observational studies have suggested benefits of early TEVAR for some patients, but large randomized trials focused on uncomplicated type B dissection have been limited, so this large pragmatic trial is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
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Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: O'brien, Sean M — Duke University
- Study coordinator: O'brien, Sean M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Improving Outcomes in Vascular Disease for Aortic Dissection: Upfront TEVAR vs Surveillance
A large US study will compare starting treatment with a repair procedure plus medicine to medicine alone with careful follow-up in people with uncomplicated type B aortic dissection.
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Improving Outcomes in Aortic Dissection: Upfront TEVAR vs Surveillance (IMPROVE-AD) for Uncomplicated Type B Dissection
A large, patient-friendly study will compare starting with medicine plus an upfront TEVAR procedure versus medicine with careful monitoring for people with uncomplicated type B aortic dissection.
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IMPROVE-AD: Better outcomes for uncomplicated type B aortic dissection
A large patient study in the US will compare starting with medical care plus upfront TEVAR versus medical care with monitoring alone to see which approach leads to better outcomes for people with uncomplicated type B aortic dissection.
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Upfront TEVAR plus medical therapy vs lifelong monitoring for uncomplicated type B aortic dissection
A large US study tests whether adding early TEVAR to standard medical care helps people with uncomplicated type B aortic dissection live better than medical care alone with ongoing monitoring.
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Non-invasive 4D flow MRI to predict risk in aortic dissection
A study using 4D flow MRI to help doctors predict which patients with aortic dissection are at higher long-term risk so they can tailor treatment.
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Early aortic stent plus medicine versus medicine with watchful waiting for uncomplicated type B aortic dissection
This compares giving an early aortic stent graft plus medicines to using medicines with close follow-up for people with uncomplicated type B aortic dissection to find which approach leads to better outcomes.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.