Down syndrome (DS) occurs in roughly 1 out of 700 births in the U.S. Half of all children with Down syndrome have congenital heart disease (CHD), often requiring corrective heart surgery. Even though CHD in children without DS is known to be associated with developmental problems, few studies have explored how CHD can affect the development and behavior of…
Pain is a natural response to injury to let us know there may be damage to our bodies. Pain is the way our body tells us that we must take care of ourselves. Chronic pain is different and lasts for a long time. In some cases, chronic pain remains without any sign of body damage. Today, there is no way for a doctor to measure someone's chronic pain or…
We are inviting patients with active Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) to help us better understand how treatment options affect inflammation in soft tissues. With a combination of blood work, a full-body FDG PET-CT scan, questionnaires, and a soft tissue biopsy (from an area around the belly button), we hope to see how RA interacts with these multiple areas of…
The study aims to compare the effect two different RA treatments on cardiovascular health in patients who are considering a treatment change. The study is recruiting patients who are only taking methotrexate and are switching treatment due to a lack of improvement. The trial will randomize participants to take a TNF inhibitor (Enbrel or Humira) in addition…
We are doing a research study to learn more about why people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are prone to heart disease. We are recruiting patients diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis without a personal history of heart disease. This study involves one initial full visit as described below, and a brief follow up visit that will take place approximately 2 or…