High blood pressure is the leading global risk factor for death and disability. Seated brachial blood pressure and heart rate measurements provide only limited information about cardiovascular status, as a single day includes approximately 100,000 systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings. The DYNAMIC study collects functional data on about 60 cardiovascular variables, including peripheral and central blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, systemic vascular resistance, volume status, arterial stiffness, central wave reflections, and autonomic tone. To date, we have stored data from over 1,500 subjects, captured during more than 3,500 recording sessions.
We explore new cardiovascular phenotypes to identify high-risk patients and improve detection of target organ damage, focusing on haemodynamics in primary and secondary hypertension and the regulation of upright haemodynamics. With adrenal venous sampling for all Finnish aldosteronism patients conducted at Tampere University Hospital, we have a unique opportunity to study the haemodynamics of primary aldosteronism. Given that most aldosteronism patients remain undiagnosed and untreated, our aim is to develop a diagnostic algorithm to enhance its detection.
We also study cardiovascular function during a 9-month marathon training programme and the effects of a full-length Ironman triathlon. While moderate exercise is beneficial, extreme physical exertion poses significant cardiovascular risks. Data on the haemodynamic impacts of full-length triathlon competitions remain limited.
Since 2006, our cardiovascular phenotyping project has identified differences between hypertensive and normotensive subjects, men and women, and lean and obese individuals. It has also demonstrated the effects of biological and chronological ageing, sodium intake, haemoglobin levels, plasma lipids and smoking, and various interventions. This approach has opened new opportunities for diagnosing secondary hypertension and conducting genetic analyses. Recordings in normotensive controls have allowed us to identify abnormalities in cardiovascular function.
