Cardiovascular Research Cluster Bern

Physical Activity, Exercise & Rehabilitation

Our group performs clinical research in the field of primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
A research focus is physical activity assessment and structured exercise interventions in cardiovascular and cardio-oncology rehabilitation programmes, including telerehabilitation. Main patient populations studied are acute and chronic coronary syndromes, heart failure, cancer with cardiotoxic therapies, and cardiovascular patients with diabetes mellitus.
We have a strong research collaboration with the Lifestyle and Behaviour Research Group and the Cardiometabolic Research Group of the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM).

Specific research tools

Accelerometers (fitbit, Axivity) for objective quantification of physical activity volume and intensity
Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) for determining cardiorespiratory fitness and ventilatory thresholds, identification of exercise limiting systems, and prognostic stratification
Telemedicine devices for recording biosignals (ECG, heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, body weight)

Key parameters of a cardiopulmonary exercise test — Key parameters of a CPET in a 46 years old patient with ischemic cardiomyopathy, ejection fraction 28%, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III. The nine-panel plot shows a severely reduced cardiorespiratory fitness (peak VO2 18 ml/min/kg, 48% of predicted), a severely reduced ventilatory efficiency (VE/VCO2 slope of 50), and a pattern of exercise oscillatory ventilation. VE, ventilation; HR, heart rate; VO2, oxygen consumption; VCO2, carbon dioxide output; AT, anaerobic (first ventilatory) threshold; RCP, respiratory compensation point (second ventilatory threshold); EqO2, ventilatory equivalents for oxygen; EqCO2, ventilatory equivalents for carbon dioxide; VT, tidal volume; RER, respiratory exchange ratio; BR, breathing reserve; PETO2; end-tidal partial pressure of oxygen; PETCO2, end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide.

Contact:

PD. Dr. Sc. nat. Prisca Eser
Head of Research Group
+41 31 632 4398
prisca.eser@insel.ch

Prof. Dr. med. Matthias Wilhelm
Medical Director, Medical Division Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine
+41 31 632 8986
matthias.wilhelm@insel.ch

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