Dr. Empar Lurbe i Ferrer

Principal Investigator
Research Group for the prevention of cardiovascular risk in children and adolescents

Presentation

Dra. Empar Lurbe. Graduate in Medicine from the University of Valencia. Research Fellow in Nephrology and Hypertension from Northwestern University in Chicago, USA. Specialist in Pediatrics and Nephrology. Professor of Pediatrics. Group Head of the CIBER of Obesity and Nutrition Physiopathology of the Carlos III Health Institute. Member of the Hypertension Council of the European Society of Cardiology.

 

The lines of research focus on the origins of cardiometabolic disease, childhood obesity and high blood pressure, as well as the development and application of new technologies aimed at the well-being of children and families. Coordinator of the first European Guidelines on Arterial Hypertension in Children and Adolescents 2009 and its update in 2016. Researcher in both national and international competitive projects. Coordinator of Technical Commissions of the Carlos III Health Institute (2013-2018). Chair of the COST Action (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) of the Project ‘Network for blood pressure research in children and adolescents (2020-2025)’ with 27 participating countries. Principal investigator of the European Project ‘Preventing lifetime obesity by early risk-factor identification, prognosis and intervention’, funded by the European Commission (2023-2028).

The research carried out has given rise to numerous international and national articles, chapters in books and editing of treatises on hypertension in children and adolescents. Chief Editor of Anales de Pediatría (2013-2017), official organ of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, as well as member of the Editorial Committee of international journals in the areas of Pediatrics and Hypertension.

Talal Zein Award from the European Society of Hypertension (2011), 2021 ISH Honor for Senior Women Researchers Award from the International Society of Hypertension, 2022 WHL Claude Lenfant Excellence Award in Population Hypertension Control from the World Hypertension League and Honorary Member of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, and the Spanish, Italian and Hungarian Hypertension Societies.

Dra. Empar Lurbe i Ferrer
Principal
Investigator
Dr. Empar Lurbe i Ferrer

empar.lurbe@uv.es; malurfe@uv.es

Publications
2023 ESH Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension The Task Force for the management of arterial hypertension of the European Society of Hypertension Endorsed by the European Renal Association (ERA) and the International Society of Hypertension (ISH). Mancia Chairperson G, Kreutz Co-Chair R, Brunstrom M, Burnier M, Grassi G, Januszewicz A, Muiesan M, Tsioufis K, Agabiti-Rosei E, Algharably E, Azizi M, Benetos A, Borghi C, Hitij J, Cifkova R, Coca A, Cornelissen V, Cruickshank K, Cunha P, Danser A, de Pinho R, Delles C, Dominiczak A, Dorobantu M, Doumas M, Fernandez-Alfonso M, Halimi J, Jarai Z, Jelakovic B, Jordan J, Kuznetsova T, Laurent S, Lovic D, Lurbe E, Mahfoud F, Manolis A, Miglinas M, Narkiewicz K, Niiranen T, Palatini P, Parati G, Pathak A, Persu A, Polonia J, Redon J, Sarafidis P, Schmieder R, Spronck B, Stabouli S, Stergiou G, Taddei S, Thomopoulos C, Tomaszewski M, Van de Borne P, Wanner C, Weber T, Williams B, Zhang Z, Kjeldsen S. Journal of Hypertension. 2023 Dec 1;41(12):1874-2071. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000003480. PMID: 37345492

Anthropometric measures of adiposity as markers of kidney dysfunction: a cross-sectional study. Vela-Bernal S, Facchetti R, Dell’Oro R, Quarti-Trevano F, Lurbe E, Mancia G, Grassi G. High Blood Pressure & Cardiovascular Prevention. 2023 Sep 27. doi: 10.1007/s40292-023-00600-6. PMID: 37755663

Development of a genetic risk score to predict the risk of hypertension in European adolescents from the HELENA study. Perez-Gimeno G, Seral-Cortes M, Sabroso-Lasa S, Esteban L, Lurbe E, Beghin L, Gottrand F, Meirhaeghe A, Muntaner M, Kafatos A, Molnar D, Leclercq C, Widhalm K, Kersting M, Nova E, Salazar-Tortosa D, Gonzalez-Gross M, Breidenassel C, Sinningen K, De Ruyter T, Labayen I, Ruperez A, Bueno-Lozano G, Moreno L. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2023 Jun 1;10:1118919. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1118919. PMID: 37324619

Editorial: Blood pressure in children and adolescents: moving forward. Lurbe E, Fernandez-Aranda F, Wuhl E. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2023 Jan 30;10:1142176. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1142176. PMID: 36793474

HyperChildNET: a European Network Moving Forward in the Field of Pediatric Hypertension. Lurbe E, Mancia G, Drozdz D, Erdine S, Fernandez-Aranda F, Litwin M, Sinha MD, Simonetti G, Stabouli S, Wuhl E. Hypertension. 2023 Apr;80(4):e71-e73. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.123.20080. PMID: 36748460

Impact of maternal weight gain on the newborn metabolome. Guixeres-Esteve T, Ponce-Zanon F, Morales J, Lurbe E, Alvarez-Pitti J, Monleon D. Metabolites. 2023 Apr 15;13(4):561. doi: 10.3390/metabo13040561. PMID: 37110219

Joint statement for assessing and managing high blood pressure in children and adolescents: Chapter 2. How to manage high blood pressure in children and adolescents. Wuhl E, Calpe J, Drozdz D, Erdine S, Fernandez-Aranda F, Hadjipanayis A, Hoyer P, Jankauskiene A, Jimenez-Murcia S, Litwin M, Mancia G, Mazur A, Pall D, Seeman T, Sinha M, Simonetti G, Stabouli S, Lurbe E. Frontiers in Pediatrics. 2023 Apr 12;11:1140617. doi: 10.3389/fped.2023.1140617. PMID: 37124176

Maternal obesity and gestational diabetes reprogram the methylome of offspring beyond birth by inducing epigenetic signatures in metabolic and developmental pathways. Alba Linares J, Perez R, Tejedor J, Bastante Rodriguez D, Ponce F, Carbonell N, Zafra R, Fernandez A, Fraga M, Lurbe E. Cardiovascular Diabetology. 2023 Mar 4;22(1):44. doi: 10.1186/s12933-023-01774-y. PMID: 36870961

Persistence and determinants of blood pressure phenotypes according to office and ambulatory blood pressure measurements in youth. Martinez F, Redon J, Aguilar F, Calderon JM, Lurbe E. Hypertension Research. 2023 May;46(5):1257-1266. doi: 10.1038/s41440-022-01159-w. PMID: 36635525

Psychosocial and environmental risk factors of obesity and hypertension in children and adolescents-a literature overview. Wójcik M, Alvarez-Pitti J, Koziol-Kozakowska A, Brzezinski M, Gabbianelli R, Herceg-Cavrak V, Wühl E, Lucas I, Radovanovic D, Melk A, Lopez-Valcarcel B, Fernández-Aranda F, Mazur A, Lurbe E, Borghi C, Drozdz D. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2023 Nov 20:10:1268364. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1268364. PMID: 38054100

Study protocol: Identification and validation of integrative biomarkers of physical activity level and health in children and adolescents (INTEGRActiv). Picó C, Lurbe E, Keijer J, Kopecky J, Landrier J, Alvarez-Pitti J, Martin J, Oliver P, Palou A, Palou M, Zouhar P, Ribot J, Rodríguez A, Sánchez J, Serra F, Bonet M. Frontiers in Pediatrics. 2023 Sep 12:11:1250731. doi: 10.3389/fped.2023.1250731. PMID: 37772038

Blood pressure measurement in children and adolescents: key element in the evaluation of arterial hypertension. Alvarez J, Aguilar F, Lurbe E. Anales de Pediatria. 2022 Jun;96(6):536.e1-536.e7. doi: 10.1016/j.anpede.2022.04.011. PMID: 35659490

Comparison of validation protocols for blood pressure measuring devices in children and adolescents. Stabouli S, Chainoglou A, Evripidou K, Simao C, Antza C, Petrou P, Hamdani G, Calpe J, Lurbe E. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2022 Nov 23;9:1001878. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.1001878. PMID: 36505363

Hypertension in children and adolescents a consensus document from ESC Council on Hypertension, European Association of Preventive Cardiology, European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, Association of Cardiovascular Nursing & Allied Professions, ESC Council for Cardiology Practice and Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology. de Simone G, Mancusi C, Hanssen H, Genovesi S, Lurbe E, Parati G, Sendzikaite S, Valerio G, Di Bonito P, Di Salvo G, Ferrini M, Leeson P, Moons P, Weismann C, Williams B. European Heart Journal. 2022 Sep 14;43(35):3290-3301. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehac328. PMID: 35896123

Insights from matched office and ambulatory blood pressure in youth: clinical relevance. Lurbe E, Redon J, Alvarez J, Grau-Perez M, Martinez F, Mancia G. Hypertension. 2022 Mar 29;101161HYPERTENSIONAHA12218993. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.122.18993. PMID: 35345885

Knowledge gaps and future directions in cognitive functions in children and adolescents with primary arterial hypertension: a systematic review. Lucas I, Puteikis K, Sinha M, Litwin M, Merkevicius K, Azukaitis K, Rus R, Pac M, Obrycki L, Bardsen T, Sladowska-Kozlowska J, Sagsak E, Lurbe E, Jimenez-Murcia S, Jankauskiene A, Fernandez-Aranda F. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2022 Oct 20;9:973793. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.973793. PMID: 36337900

Prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy in children and young people with primary hypertension: meta-analysis and meta-regression. Sinha M, Azukaitis K, Sladowska-Kozlowska J, Bardsen T, Merkevicius K, Sletten I, Obrycki L, Pac M, Fernandez-Aranda F, Bjelakovic B, Jankauskiene A, Litwin M, HyperChildNet Working Grp. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. 2022 Oct 31;9:993513. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.993513. PMID: 36386367

Uric acid and hypertension: a review of evidence and future perspectives for the management of cardiovascular risk. Borghi C, Agnoletti D, Cicero A, Lurbe E, Virdis A. Hypertension. 2022 Sep;79(9):1927-1936. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.122.17956. PMID: 35658505

2021 European Society of Hypertension practice guidelines for office and out-of-office blood pressure measurement. Stergiou GS, Palatini P, Parati G, O’Brien E, Januszewicz A, Lurbe E, Persu A, Mancia G, Kreutz R. Journal of Hypertension. 2021 Jul 1;39(7):1293-1302. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000002843. PMID: 33710173

Developmental and early life origins of cardiometabolic risk factors: novel findings and implications. Lurbe E, Ingelfinger J. Hypertension. 2021 Feb;77(2):308-318. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.14592. PMID: 33390043

European Network for blood pressure research in children and adolescents (COST Action CA 19115). Lurbe E, Fernandez-Aranda F, Wuhl E, en representacion del Consorcio HyperChildNET. Anales de Pediatria. 2021 Jun;94(6):421.e1-421.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.anpedi.2021.01.015. PMID: 33653658

European Network for blood pressure research in children and adolescents (COST Action CA 19115). Lurbe E, Fernandez-Aranda F, Wuhl E, HyperChildNET Consortium. Anales de Pediatria. 2021 Jun;94(6):421.e1-421.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.anpede.2021.01.003. PMID: 34090641

Lifestyle, psychological, socioeconomic and environmental factors and their impact on hypertension during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Kreutz R, Dobrowolski P, Prejbisz A, Algharably EAEH, Bilo G, Creutzig F, Grassi G, Kotsis V, Lovic D, Lurbe E, Modesti PA, Pappaccogli M, Parati G, Persu A, Polonia J, Rajzer M, de Timary P, Weber T, Weisser B, Tsioufis K, Mancia G, Januszewicz A. Journal of Hypertension. 2021 Jun 1;39(6):1077-1089. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000002770. PMID: 33395152

Obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors: from childhood to adulthood. Drozdz D, Alvarez-Pitti J, Wojcik M, Borghi C, Gabbianelli R, Mazur A, Herceg-Cavrak V, Gonzalez Lopez-Valcarcel B, Brzezinski M, Lurbe E, Wuehl E. Nutrients. 2021 Nov 22;13(11):4176. doi: 10.3390/nu13114176. PMID: 34836431

Obesity and eating disorders in children and adolescents: the bidirectional link. Stabouli S, Erdine S, Suurorg L, Jankauskiene A, Lurbe E. Nutrients. 2021 Nov 29;13(12):4321. doi: 10.3390/nu13124321. PMID: 34959873

Primary hypertension beginning in childhood and risk for future cardiovascular disease. Falkner B, Lurbe E. Journal of Pediatrics. 2021 Nov;238:16-25. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2021.08.008. PMID: 34391765

Scientific mapping of the research output on hypertension in children and adolescents, 2010-2018. Abad-Garcia MF, Gonzalez-Teruel A, Bolanos-Pizarro M, Lurbe I Ferrer E. Journal of Hypertension. 2021 Jun 1;39(6):1070-1076. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000002772. PMID: 33929402

The USPSTF call to inaction on blood pressure screening in children and adolescents. Falkner B, Lurbe E. Pediatric Nephrology. 2021 Jun;36(6):1327-1329. doi: 10.1007/s00467-021-04926-y. PMID: 33449211

Projects
Reference: PI20/00269
Title: Impacto del peso al nacer y el patrón de crecimiento en factores de riesgo cardiometabólico en adolescentes postpuberales: aproximación clínica y molecular
Funding body: Instituto de Salud Carlos III – Cofinanciado FEDER
Principal Investigator: Empar Lurbe i Ferrer
Duration: 2021 – 2025
Total budget: 174.845 €
Reference: COST Action CA19115
Title: Network for blood pressure research in children and adolescents. HyperChildNET
Funding body: European Commision
Principal Investigator: Empar Lurbe i Ferrer
Duration: 2020 – 2024
Total budget: 700.000 €
Reference: EAT4HEALTHYLIFE
Title: Obesity and abnormal eating behavior across the lifespan. A cross sectional and longitudinal approach of environmental and neurobiological factors
Funding body: Instituto de Salud Carlos III – CIBERObn – Cofinanciado FEDER
Principal Investigator: Fernando Fernández Aranda
Duration: 2018 – 2020
Total budget: 69.220 €
Reference: PI17/01517
Title: Programación fetal y desarrollo postnatal en hijos de madres obesas: modulación por la alimentación en el primer año de vida
Funding body: Instituto de Salud Carlos III – Cofinanciado FEDER
Principal Investigator: Empar Lurbe i Ferrer
Duration: 2018 – 2021
Total budget: 170.005 €
Reference: CB06/03/0039
Title: CIBER de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn)
Funding body: Instituto de Salud Carlos III – Cofinanciado FEDER
Principal Investigator: Empar Lurbe i Ferrer
Duration: 2006 –
Total budget: 85.000 €
+ Info
2023 ESH Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension The Task Force for the management of arterial hypertension of the European Society of Hypertension Endorsed by the European Renal Association (ERA) and the International Society of Hypertension (ISH). Mancia Chairperson G, Kreutz Co-Chair R, Brunstrom M, Burnier M, Grassi G, Januszewicz A, Muiesan M, Tsioufis K, Agabiti-Rosei E, Algharably E, Azizi M, Benetos A, Borghi C, Hitij J, Cifkova R, Coca A, Cornelissen V, Cruickshank K, Cunha P, Danser A, de Pinho R, Delles C, Dominiczak A, Dorobantu M, Doumas M, Fernandez-Alfonso M, Halimi J, Jarai Z, Jelakovic B, Jordan J, Kuznetsova T, Laurent S, Lovic D, Lurbe E, Mahfoud F, Manolis A, Miglinas M, Narkiewicz K, Niiranen T, Palatini P, Parati G, Pathak A, Persu A, Polonia J, Redon J, Sarafidis P, Schmieder R, Spronck B, Stabouli S, Stergiou G, Taddei S, Thomopoulos C, Tomaszewski M, Van de Borne P, Wanner C, Weber T, Williams B, Zhang Z, Kjeldsen S. Journal of Hypertension. 2023 Dec 1;41(12):1874-2071. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000003480. PMID: 37345492

Lifestyle, psychological, socioeconomic and environmental factors and their impact on hypertension during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Kreutz R, Dobrowolski P, Prejbisz A, Algharably EAEH, Bilo G, Creutzig F, Grassi G, Kotsis V, Lovic D, Lurbe E, Modesti PA, Pappaccogli M, Parati G, Persu A, Polonia J, Rajzer M, de Timary P, Weber T, Weisser B, Tsioufis K, Mancia G, Januszewicz A. Journal of Hypertension. 2021 Jun 1;39(6):1077-1089. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000002770. PMID: 33395152

2021 European Society of Hypertension practice guidelines for office and out-of-office blood pressure measurement. Stergiou GS, Palatini P, Parati G, O’Brien E, Januszewicz A, Lurbe E, Persu A, Mancia G, Kreutz R. Journal of Hypertension. 2021 Jul 1;39(7):1293-1302. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000002843. PMID: 33710173

Redefining hypertension in children and adolescents: A review of the evidence considered by the European Society of Hypertension and American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines.Stabouli S, Redón Mas J, Lurbe Ferrer E. Journal of Hypertension. 2020 Feb;38(2):196-200. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000002247. PMID: 31584513

2018 ESC/ESH Guidelines for the management of arterial. Williams B, Mancia G, Spiering W, Rosei EA, Azizi M, Burnier M, Clement DL, Coca A, de Simone G, Dominiczak A, Kahan T, Mahfoud F, Redon J, Ruilope L, Zanchetti A, Kerins M, Kjeldsen SE, Kreutz R, Laurent S, Lip GYH, McManus R, Narkiewicz K, Ruschitzka F, Schmieder RE, Shlyakhto E, Tsioufis C, Aboyans V, Desormais I. Kardiologia Polska. 2019;77(2):71-159. doi: 10.5603/KP.2019.0018. PMID: 30816983

Impact of ESH and AAP hypertension guidelines for children and adolescents on office and ambulatory blood pressure-based classifications. Lurbe E, Torró I, Álvarez J, Aguilar F, Mancia G, Redon J, Redon P. Journal of Hypertension. 2019 Dec;37(12):2414-2421. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000002229. PMID: 31688292