Project R-14271

Mitral Valve Disease in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: Insights from Personalized In- Silico Heart Modeling and Clinical Validation. (Research)

The prevalence of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is increasing. HFpEF results from dysfunctional interactions between the stiff heart, the vessels and extracardiac comorbidities. Increased filling pressures as a mechanism to maintain stroke volume is pathognomonic for this multifaceted syndrome. Valvular heart disease is common in HFpEF, partly explained by enlarged atria and intrinsic degenerative processes at older age. Mitral regurgitation (MR) is associated with decreased quality of life and adverse outcome. MR becomes, on top of diastolic dysfunction, a determinant in left atrial and pulmonary remodeling because of volume and pressure overload. The complex interplay between myocardial properties and MR is poorly understood. It remains an open question whether and when an intervention at the valve can improve outcome. Existing animal models fail to capture the complexity of the human disease. Computational modeling as making a patient's Digital Twin becomes more reliable because of the extensive clinical data available for model validation and the ever-growing computational power enabling real-time simulation. The objective of this project is to elucidate the impact of mitral valve disease in HFpEF by collecting prospective clinical data along with the development and validation of a personalized hemodynamic computer model (Digital Twin Technology in the CircAdapt model).

01 November 2023 - 31 October 2027