Heart disease in women is our overarching research focus. Heart disease in women is investigated in collaboration with national partners at UiT The Arctic University of Norway and the University of Oslo, and with international partners in Germany, Italy, Portugal, Greece and the USA. The main focus is heart disease as a result of high blood pressure, aortic valve stenosis, obesity and autoimmune diseases, and how these factors put different strain on the heart in women and men. Our research has contributed to new European recommendations on the treatment of high blood pressure in patients with aortic valve stenosis, and an international focus on heart disease in women. We are researching this in Norwegian population surveys and in projects with clinical trials of people with high blood pressure, obesity, aortic valve stenosis, autoimmune diseases or ischemic stroke. A new Centre for Research on Heart Disease in Women was established at UiB in June 2020 funded by the Heart Foundation at UiB, Bergen Sanitetskvinnor/Norwegian Women's Public Health Association and the Grieg Foundation (https://www.uib.no/kvinnehjerte). Our further research will be linked to the Centre's network.

The Hordaland Health Study - Round 3 (HUSK3) was conducted in 2018-22. The main focus is what blood pressure and other health factors and changes in these for cardiovascular health 20 years later. The project is a collaboration between 4 research groups at UiB led by Professor Grethe S. Tell, Professor Ottar Nygård, Professor Jutta Dierkes, the undersigned, BEVITAL Academic Laboratory and Western Norway University of Applied Sciences by Professor Marjolein Iversen. See also: postdoctoral fellow Ester Kringeland, University of Bergen and senior consultant PhD Annabel E. Ohldieck at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health/Department of Cardiology, Haukeland University Hospital and their groundbreaking publications. The study is funded by the University of Bergen and the Western Norway Regional Health Authority.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure is a major health problem in Norway. In collaboration with the 4 other universities, we researched this in the IDA study. In collaboration with Senior Consultant PhD Marianne Grytaas, Section of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, we conduct research on patients with primary aldosteronism as the underlying cause of high blood pressure. Our main focus is how uncontrolled high blood pressure affects the heart, and whether the impact is different in women and men or based on what the cause of the high blood pressure is. See also: Senior Consultant Arleen Aune, Department of Nephrology, Haukeland University Hospital and Postdoctoral Fellow Ester Kringeland, University of Bergen. The study is funded by the Research Council of Norway and the Western Norway Regional Health Authority.

Women with autoimmune diseases are at high risk of getting heart disease early. In collaboration with Diakonhjemmet in Oslo and the Department of Rheumatology, Haukeland University Hospital, the Grieg Foundation Associate Professor and Senior Consultant Helga Midtbø has studied heart function in various autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, Mb Bechterew, Sjögren's syndrome and psoriasis, and the effect of modern immunomodulatory treatment. See also: Associate Professor Helga Midtbø PhD, UiB and Haukeland University Hospital. The studies are funded by the Western Norway Regional Health Authority.

Subclinical cardiovascular disease in young stroke patients is investigated in the NOR-SYS project in collaboration with Professor Ulrike Waje-Andreassen, Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital, which was started in 2010. The follow-up examinations at the Department of Cardiology were completed in 2022. Cardiac ultrasound images from the European study SECRETO on stroke patients under 50 years of age are sent for analysis in our core laboratory. The project focuses on cardiac changes in patients with cryptogenic ischemic stroke and is a collaboration with 30 hospitals in Europe, led by Professor Jukka Putaala at Helsinki University Hospital in Finland. See also PhD candidate Rune Eilertsen, UiB who recently submitted his thesis for assessment for the PhD degree. The study is funded by the Western Norway Regional Health Authority and Helsinki University Hospital.

Since 2009, we have been researching the effect of overweight and obesity on the heart and arteries in the FAT-associated cardiovascular dysfunction (FATCOR) study. A total of 618 participants with overweight/obesity with no known heart disease were examined in the period 2009-17 with mapping of risk factors for heart disease, ultrasound of the heart and arteries, fitness measurement on a treadmill and measurement of stiffness in the main artery. The !0-year follow-up began in 2023 and will be completed in 2026. Grieg Foundation Associate Professor Helga Midtbø, Postdoctoral Fellow Hilde Halland and PhD Candidate Aisteja Selmyte-Besuspare are responsible for the implementation of this. The focus is now on changing metabolic health through 10 years in midlife, and not least how menopause and physical fitness affect this. The study is funded by the Grieg Foundation and the Western Norway Regional Health Authority.

From 2023, we have participated as a partner in the eCardiacRehab rehabilitation project, which is led by Professor Tone M. Norekvål. The project focuses on whether digital cardiac rehabilitation of women and men after undergoing treatment with blockage of a coronary artery is as good an offer as cardiac rehabilitation courses at the hospital. It is a major problem that women with heart disease do not participate in such courses, even though participation has been shown to both improve quality of life and prolong life. The capacity in Norway is also very low, so that only a few of those who need it can get services. We Centre Researchers focus on the recruitment of women to the project and on the follow-up of high blood pressure. High blood pressure is the main cause of narrowed coronary arteries and heart attacks in women, and it is important to have good blood pressure treatment to avoid relapses. Project participants are postdoctoral fellow Ester Kringeland and Professor Eva Gerdts. The study is funded by the Research Council of Norway.

From 2023, we have participated as a partner in the project Dental Health and Heart Disease, which is led by the Dental Health Competence Center Vestland by Professor Ellen Berggreen. In this project, we focus on whether there is a connection between poor dental health, especially gingivitis, and having high blood pressure. The participants were recruited from the Health Study in Hordaland, and approximately 1400 70-year-old women and men have participated. Project participants are postdoctoral fellow Ester Kringeland and Professor Eva Gerdts. The study is funded by the Research Council of Norway.

https://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/i/l3zqWL/fersk-rapport-kvinner-har-dobbelt-saa-stor-risiko-for-hjerteinfarkt-naar-blodtrykket-stiger

Nasjonalforeningen awarded the 2022 Cardiac Research Prize to Eva Gerdts. The award was presented by King Harald of Norway

https://forskning.no/demens-forskningspriser-hjernen/kongen-delte-ut-forskningspriser/2018501 

ESC Council on hypertension video on Hypertension in Women for May month of Hypertension 2024

ESC Council on Hypertension (escardio.org)

At the UiB: I give thematic lectures on hypertension, hemodynamics, hypertensive heart disease, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, all in a sex and gender perspective.

I am also contributing to a hands on course in handheld echocardiography using the VScan device. See course leader Helga Midtbø, UiB for further details.

At the UiO: I give an annual lecture about sex differences in heart disease

FEMALE HEART project

International collaboration from 2012 with researchers at UiT The Arctic University of Norway and federico II University of Naples, Italy. Translational project involving experimental animal studies and clinical studies. The project aim to identify mechanisms for why high blood pressure is more damaging to the heart in women than in men. An annual Female Heart workshop is organized at UiB based on this collaboration. 

Hordaland Health Study - 3rd survey (HUSK3)

Focus on sex differences in how blood pressure in 40 years old women and men predicts their cardiovascular health 20 years later. A total of 2192 individuals participated during 2018-22. We are now performing detailed analyses of the 

FAT associated cardiovascular dysfunction (FATCOR)

Focus on how obesity influences cardiac and arterial function in women and men. Crossectional study of 618 individuals. The 10 year follow-up visit started in 2022 focusing on changes in blood pressure over 10 years in midlife, sex differences, confounders and underlying mechanisms. 78% of the original participants have signed up. The first part is performed at Research Unit for Health Surveys at UiB and the second part involving ergospirometric testing on threadmill at Department of Heart Disease, Haukeland University Hospital.

The IDA study

Focuses on mechanisms for uncontrolled high blood pressure in patients who are perscribed antihypertensive drugs. National Norwegian research project funded by the Norwegian Research Council. A toal of 1100 women and men were recruited and half of them turned out to have uncontrolled systolic blood pressure at ambulatory 24h blood pressure monitoring. These individuals underwent echocardiography and further evaluation. The prevalence of drug non-adherence assessed from serum concentrations was very low and similar in both sexes. Arleen Aune MD defended her PhD thesis on sex differences in cardiac organ damage and relation to drug non-adherence in 2024. See Arleen Aune, UiB.

Sex differences and hypertension in aortic stenosis

Based upon 1873 patients with aortic valve stenosis who participated in the Simvastatin Ezetimibe in Aortic Stenosis (SEAS) study. Resulted in publication of a scientific statement paper by the European Society of Cardiology on management of hypertension in patients with aortic valve stenosis. Also inspired a new line of research for sex differences in aortic, valvular and left ventricular adaptation during progression of aortic valve stenosis. Key collaborators associate professor Dana Cramariuc, UiB, PhD Edda Bahlmann, St. George's hospital, Hamburg, Germany, and Eigir Einarsen, UiB.