BPEAX

High blood pressure is responsible for 19% of all deaths worldwide. The condition is initially asymptomatic but can lead to life-threatening long-term consequences such as stroke, heart attack, or kidney failure, and is therefore often referred to as a “silent killer.” There is significant potential for prevention through lifestyle changes, regular blood pressure monitoring, and/or antihypertensive medication. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 16% of adults suffer from undiagnosed hypertension and therefore do not receive adequate treatment. Even individuals with normal resting blood pressure may exhibit an excessive increase in blood pressure during physical exertion, known as exercise-induced hypertension. Excessive blood pressure responses during exercise are a risk factor for the presence of cardiovascular disease and increased mortality. The early detection of exercise-induced hypertension in individuals with normal resting blood pressure—and the associated opportunity for early treatment—represents a significant medical benefit. According to the WHO, improved early detection and care could prevent up to 76 million deaths worldwide by 2050. The objective of the research project “BPEAX – AI-based detection of exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise based on central blood pressure estimates and electrocardiogram data” is the development of an artificial neural network to predict exercise-induced hypertension in individuals with normal resting blood pressure, based on ECG data and/or central blood pressure waveforms.

The project “BPEAX” has a duration of one year and is funded by the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Arts and Culture (HMWK) as part of the “Experimentierräume” funding program of the Research Campus Central Hesse (FCMH) with €62,757.