Project R-15862

Mitral Valve Disease in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: Personalized In-Silico Phenotyping and Validation (Research)

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is a growing global health challenge affecting primarily elderly patients. While the heart maintains normal pumping ability, it becomes stiff and requires dangerously high filling pressures to function properly. A critical yet underexplored dimension is the complex interplay with mitral valve disease, which frequently coexists in these patients through two mechanisms: atrial functional mitral regurgitation related to enlarged atria, and mitral annular calcification. The urgent clinical dilemma is determining whether these valve abnormalities are primary drivers of symptoms or secondary consequences of heart muscle disease. This distinction is crucial as new percutaneous valve interventions offer treatment options for frail, elderly patients previously considered inoperable. This 4-year PhD project combines the clinical expertise of UHasselt/ZOL with the computational modeling capabilities of Maastricht University to develop patient-specific "Digital Twins" using the CircAdapt platform. Through three phases, the project will: 1) analyze clinical data including exercise echocardiography to understand the hemodynamic impact of mitral valve disease in HFpEF; 2) develop personalized computer simulations that integrate valve-myocardium interactions; and 3) create a validated predictive framework to determine which patients will benefit from valve intervention versus those who require treatment of underlying heart muscle disease. This interdisciplinary approach aims to transform clinical decision-making by providing quantitative predictions of individual patient responses to different treatment strategies.

01 October 2025 - 30 September 2029