Dr. Anne-Kathrin Tolke erhielt den mit 2.500 Euro dotierten Promotionspreis der DGA. Sie erhält den Preis für ihre Arbeit mit dem Titel „Die systolische Akzelerationszeit als Maß für den hämodynamischen Schweregrad einer peripheren arteriellen Verschlusskrankheit bei koinzidenter Mediasklerose“.

"Die zellspezifische Rolle der CD40-vermittelten Signaltransduktion in  vaskulärer und kardiometabolischer Inflammation"

Zusammenfassung der Dissertation: Systolic acceleration time as an indicator for hemodynamic severity of peripheral artery disease in patients with coexisting medial artery calcificationAnkle-brachial-index (ABI) calculation is the recommended method in diagnosing peripheral artery disease (PAD) but its use is limited due to medial artery calcification (MAC), which leads to incompressibility of lower limb arteries and results in false elevated ABI values. Measurement of systolic acceleration time (AT) by duplex ultrasound is being established as an alternative, but it is unsought, whether a coexisting MAC influences AT values. In a prospective clinical study healthy subjects, patients with MAC and patients with PAD with and without MAC were examined. In all 238 participants ABI calculation for posterior tibial artery (ATP) and anterior tibial artery (ATA) was performed using continuous wave Doppler ultrasound. This was followed by measurement of AT derived from velocity-time spectra of ATP, ATA, and brachial artery (AB) using color-coded duplex sonography. In analogy to ABI, a new comparative parameter named absolute differential value of AT (advAT) was created by subtracting the AT value of the brachial artery from the AT values of the respective peripheral artery (ATA or ATP) and forming the absolute value from the result. It was found, that a coexisting MAC does not have a significant impact on AT values (p > 0,05). According to the findings of this study PAD is present in patients with AT > 95 ms (sensitivity (Se): 85%, specificity (Sp): 87%) or in patients with advAT > 20 ms (Se: 82%, Sp: 84%). Consequently, both AT and advAT are suitable quantitative parameters for the diagnosis and severity assessment of PAD in patients with coexisting MAC.

Das DGA-Promotionsstipendium kommt einem/einer PromovendIn an einer deutschen Universität zugute, um ein Freisemester für die Arbeit an der Dissertation zu ermöglichen. Die Förderung beträgt sechs Monate à 800 €.

2023 ging das Stipendium an Diana Schabel, die am Universiätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus in Dresden promoviert. Das Thema der Promotionsarbeit lautet „Die Rolle von DDAH2 auf physiologische und morphologische Veränderungen des kardiovaskulären Systems bei Angiotensin-II-induzierter arterieller Hypertonie“. Die Auszeichnung wurde im Rahmen der DGA-Jahrestagung in Leipzig verliehen.

Mit dem YIA wird die beste Abstract-Einreichung eines jungen Wissenschaftlers unter 35 Jahren ausgezeichnet. Bei der Jahrestagung in Leipzig zeichnete die Jury die Arbeit von Farhad Rezvani vom Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf aus. Der Preis ist mit 500,00 Euro dotiert.

,,Telephone health coaching with remote exercise monitoring (TeGeCoach) in peripheral artery disease: A randomized controlled trial“

Background: Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is the third most prevalent cardiovascular disease worldwide. The most common clinical manifestation is pain in the lower limbs elicited by physical activity that resolves after a short period of rest – known as intermittent claudication. Clinical guidelines advocate the use of supervised exercise programs as first-line therapy. However, their potential is not fully realized due to limited course availability and poor program adherence. In light of these barriers, we investigated the effectiveness and costs of TeGeCoach, a 12-month home-based walking exercise program with telemonitoring guidance and telephone health coaching.

Patients / Materials and methods: A pragmatic, randomized, usual-care controlled, parallel group trial with sequential recruitment of 1,982 patients from three statutory health insurance funds (Kaufmännische Krankenkasse, Techniker Krankenkasse, mhplus). The primary outcome was self-reported walking performance assessed by the Walking Impairment Questionnaire. Secondary endpoints included health-related quality of life and patient activation. Treatment group effects at 12- and 24-month follow-ups were estimated using linear mixed models according to the intention-to-treat principle. Total health care costs were calculated as the sum of total payments for all health care services.

Results: There was a significant improvement in self-reported walking performance at the 12-month [t = 6.19, p < .0001, d = 0.26] and 24-month follow-up [t = 4.34, p < .0001, d = 0.19]. In addition, significant improvements were observed in health-related quality of life and patient activation. Participants receiving TeGeCoach were highly compliant (83.1% completion rate) and reported high satisfaction with the program. The intervention group had non-significant cost savings of €982 per patient after 12 months and €584 per patient after 24 months compared with the usual care group.

Conclusions: Receiving TeGeCoach resulted in significant improvements in self-reported walking performance. The results highlight the potential of home-based walking exercise programs in the treatment of intermittent claudication, while potentially providing savings for the healthcare system. The German Innovation Committee (Innovationsausschuss) has therefore recommended the implementation of TeGeCoach in routine clinical settings.
References: F. Rezvani¹, L. Herbarth², D. Heider³, P. Steinisch⁴, H.-H. König³, M. Härter¹, J. Dirmaier¹

1. Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Institut und Poliklinik für Medizinische Psychologie, Hamburg, 2. KKH Kaufmännische Krankenkasse, Referat Medizin, Hannover, 3. Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Institut für Gesundheitsökonomie und Versorgungsforschung, Hamburg, 4. KKH Kaufmännische Krankenkasse, Versorgungsmanagement, Hannover