The right side of the heart pumps the blood through the lungs into the left heart. Many diseases of the lungs or the left side of the heart, many of which affect a large number of individuals, change the structure and function of the right heart. Measuring the right heart by imagine techniques such as cardiac magnetic resonance provides crucial information on patients’ current health status and risk for future events. This is mostly irrespective of the underlying disease. Our three-year project aims to understand the biology of the right heart. We will use genetic variables that reflect involvement of well-defined biological elements and carefully assess the relationship to the right heart measurements. We will separately investigate females and males to find gender-related differences. Understanding of the biology behind changes of right heart function and structure is the first step to develop drugs that specifically improve right heart function or blood-borne tests that directly inform on the status of the right heart.
