Research lines

• Non invasive characterization of arrhythmia substrate

  We aim to characterize the myocardial and electrical substrate in patients with atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in order to improve their treatment and prevent complications. Also, to predict and identify those patients at risk for these diseases.

• Characterization of cardiac mechanics in heart failure

  We aim to quantify and precisely describe underlying abnormalities in cardiac mechanics that could be corrected to improve the outcomes of patients with heart failure, including atrial fibrillation prevention and cardiac resynchronization therapy.

• Prediction of atrial fibrillation in patients at risk (Predict AF study)

  We aim to establish non invasive risk biomarkers based on imaging and blood tests to identify subjects that will develop atrial fibrillation in order to prevent and early detecti t to succesfully treat it . Also, to early and better detect atrial fibrillation among patients with unexplained stroke.

• Identification of patients at risk of sudden death and heart failure after myocardial infarction

  We aim to characterize myocardial scar and cardiac remodelling to improve our identification of patients who will develop malignat ventricular arrhythmias. Also, of those who will develop excessive cardiac remodelling and secondary mitral valve disease leading to heart failure.

• Identification of athletes at risk of sudden death

  We aim to characterize cardiac remodelling in response to exercise training and to identify those atletes at risk of presenting sudden death. Also, to understand modulators of cardiac remodelling that might influence the outcome of these atletes improving the identification of “good adapters” to high load training.

• Characterization of hypertrophic hearts (INDEPTH-HCM)

  We aim to perform a in-depth myocardial characterization of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: comprehensive multimodality imaging, tissue characterization and in-silico computational modelling with the aim to better distinguish different forms and etiologies of hypertrophic hearts that require different treatments and to better identify patients at risk of malignant arrhythmias and heart failure, as well as to evaluate the impact of therapies on cardiac performance of these hypertrophic hearts.

• Identification of candidates for and impact of percutaneous therapies for heart valve disease

  We aim to understand the changes in valvular geometry and cardiac performance before and after implantation of novel percutanoeusly implanted devices (transcatheter) . This will help in the selection of adequate candidates to receive these devices and to improve their cost efficiency, better establishing their indications.

• Usefulness of non-invasive cardíac imaging in the identification of acute coronary syndromes

  We explore the additive diagnostic value of several non-invasive cardiac imaging modalities for the identification of acute coronary syndrome among patients admitted to the Emergency Department with chest pain of uncertain origin. Anatomical based techniques are compared to functional testing to speed up the workup of patients and to minimize inappropriate discharge or unnecessary admission.