Dissertation Christine Rootwelt-Norberg

Adjudication committee
First opponent: Professor David O. Arnar, University of Iceland
Second opponent: Professor Charlotte B. Ingul, NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Associate Professor Lars Fjellbirkeland, University of Oslo

Chair of the Defence
Professor II Jonny Hisdal, University of Oslo

Principal Supervisor
Professor Kristina H. Haugaa, University of Oslo

Co-supervisor
Øyvind Haugen Lie, Department of Cardiology, Oslo University Hospital

Summary ​
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is a genetic cardiac disease associated with high risk of life-threatening arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, and many arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy patients end up with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. However, the selection of patients to receive a defibrillator is highly challenging. After introduction of genetic testing in Norway, more arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy patients are identified before they experience life-threatening arrhythmias. During 4 years follow-up in patients without previous life-threatening events, precise risk prediction was achieved by applying a risk prediction model including exercise history, T-wave inversions on ECG and cardiac dysfunction by echocardiographic strain imaging. Male patients showed more penetrant disease and worse phenotype than females, but this difference was confounded by sex differences in exercise habits. After implementation of exercise restrictions, disease progression was similar between the sexes.

The studies of this thesis improve the understanding of disease manifestations of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy and provide new data relevant to risk stratification in clinical practice.​

Public Defence: Christine Rootwelt-Norberg - Institute of Clinical Medicine (uio.no)