EXCELSIOR: Exercise in Prematurely Born Preadolescents to Mitigate Cardiovascular Risk and Improve Cognitive Impairment
Premature birth is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease later in life. Whether and how physical activity can improve cardiovascular risk in preterm-born children remains unknown. In this pilot study, preterm-born children completed an exercise program with retinal vessel measurements taken before and after as markers of cardiovascular health. The EXCELSIOR team successfully recruited 19 children, who completed the eight-week youth exercise program with great enthusiasm. Data are currently being analyzed and prepared for publication. The program proved feasible and well accepted by participants. Recruitment for a regularly supervised training program of this kind proved challenging due to changes in school schedules and place of residence. The findings will provide important insights to guide future research in this field.
Project Partners: Dr. Holger Burchert, Prof. Henner Hanssen, Prof. Sven Schulzke (Neonatology, UKBB), Dr. Christoph Hauser, MSc Manuel Huber
EXAMIN YOUTH Follow-Up: Exercise and Arterial Modulation in Youth
This project, led by Dr. Christoph Hauser and self-funded, investigates lifestyle and health-related factors that contribute to or predict cardiovascular risk during childhood development. By combining methods from exercise and sports science with basic medical diagnostics, the study develops a comprehensive health screening tool applicable from an early age.
Results from the main study period 2016/17 to 2020/21, involving 750 children, showed that both narrowing of retinal arterioles and elevated pulse wave velocity can predict high blood pressure values four years later. Children with initially elevated blood pressure and BMI showed subclinical micro and macrovascular changes after four years. Higher baseline endurance fitness was associated with more favorable development of blood pressure, BMI, and microcirculation, and with better cognitive performance after four years.
The findings aim to deepen understanding of cardiovascular disease development in childhood and demonstrate how targeted physical activity and lifestyle modifications can minimize such risks.
Project Partners: Dr. Christolph Hauser, Prof. Henner Hanssen, Dr. Giulia Lona, Dr. Lukas Streese, Dr. Denis Infanger, Prof. Oliver Faude, Dr. Sabrina Köchli
Publications:
Hauser, C., Lichtenstein, E., Nebiker, L., Streese, L., Köchli, S., Infanger, D., ... & Hanssen, H. (2023). Cardiorespiratory fitness and development of childhood cardiovascular risk: The EXAMIN YOUTH follow-up study. Frontiers in Physiology, 14, 1243434.
Hauser, C., Lona, G., Köchli, S., Streese, L., Infanger, D., Faude, O., & Hanssen, H. (2023). Bivariate relation of vascular health and blood pressure progression during childhood.Atherosclerosis, 381, 117215.
EXAMIN AGE: Exercise and Arterial Cross-Talk Modulation and Inflammation in an Ageing Population
Rising life expectancy and increasing physical inactivity represent two major challenges for modern healthcare. In older adults in particular, obesity and low physical activity are strongly linked to elevated cardiovascular risk, which remains a leading determinant of mortality in Western countries. The EXAMIN AGE study investigates the influence of physical activity and fitness on vascular health and the immune system in an ageing population. Using a group comparison design, the study examines large and small artery function as well as blood parameters in healthy and obese individuals with varying levels of physical activity. Participants with obesity undergo a 12-week intensive walking program, aiming to determine whether intensive exercise therapy can still improve vascular health and life expectancy in at-risk individuals in later life.
Project Partners: Dr. Lukas Streese, Prof. Henner Hanssen, Dr. Christoph Hauser, Dr. Denis Infanger, Dr. Arne Deiseroth
Publications:
Streese, L., Khan, A. W., Deiseroth, A., Hussain, S., Suades, R., Tiaden, A., ... & Hanssen, H. (2020). High-intensity interval training modulates retinal microvascular phenotype and DNA methylation of p66Shc gene: a randomized controlled trial (EXAMIN AGE). European heart journal, 41(15), 1514-1519.
Deiseroth, A., Streese, L., Köchli, S., Wüst, R. S., Infanger, D., Schmidt-Trucksäss, A., & Hanssen, H. (2019). Exercise and arterial stiffness in the elderly: a combined cross-sectional and randomized controlled trial (EXAMIN AGE). Frontiers in physiology, 10, 1119.
Functional Training in Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy: Follow-Up Study to Redefine Therapy for Young People with CP
Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common form of neuromuscular disorder in childhood, impairing movement and posture development and leading to muscle weakness and reduced fitness. The CP-FIT pilot study by Dr. Alice Minghetti demonstrated how affected adolescents benefited substantially from high-intensity functional strength training in a non-clinical group setting at CrossFit Basel, showing task-specific improvements in strength and endurance as well as non-task-specific gains relevant for transfer into daily life.
Since the study concluded in late 2021, participants have continued training twice weekly in a dedicated CP program, togetherfit, at CrossFit Basel. This sustained, long-term training in an accessible setting provides a uniquely valuable scientific window into the neuromuscular and cardiovascular function and structure of CP. The CP-FIT Follow-Up Study is the only study worldwide examining long-term highly trained adolescents with CP. By comparing them with trained and untrained non-affected peers, the study not only informs the content and setting of CP therapy but also addresses essential gaps in research on the development and treatment of cerebral palsy.
Project Partners: Dr. Alice Minghetti, Dr. Michèle Kläusler, Ramon Gysin, Prof. Henner Hanssen, Dr. Ralf Roth, Dr. Martin Keller
Publications:
Minghetti, A., Roth, R., Büttiker, S., Lichtenstein, E., Ritsche, P., & Keller, M. (2026). The relationship between exposure to long-term training, neuromuscular function and muscular structure in adolescents with cerebral palsy and typically-developed peers: a cross-sectional follow-up analysis.BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.
HYPERVASC: Hypertension and Retinal Microvascular Dysfunction — A Cross-Sectional and Randomized Controlled Exercise Trial
Hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease worldwide, impairing the structure and function of both large and small vessels. The HYPERVASC study investigated the effects of high-intensity interval training on vascular function in patients with hypertension, applying newly developed protocols for retinal vessel analysis including measurement of the wall-to-lumen ratio. Funded by the University of Basel Research Fund, the study advances understanding of the development and treatment of hypertension-induced vascular damage and supports the translation of retinal vessel analysis into clinical practice. Results showed that small vessel function in the retina improved measurably after eight weeks of training, while large vessel function remained unchanged within this short treatment window. The findings confirm retinal vessel analysis as a valid and sensitive tool for detecting therapy effects and supporting future clinical decision-making.
Project Partners: Dr. Lukas Streese, Prof. Henner Hanssen, Dr. Christoph Hauser, Dr. Denis Infanger, Dr. Arne Deiseroth
Publication:
Streese, L., Pichler, F. A., Hauser, C., & Hanssen, H. (2023). Microvascular wall-to-lumen ratio in patients with arterial hypertension: A randomized controlled exercise trial.Microvascular Research, 148, 104526.
StemCellFit: Influence of Cardiorespiratory Fitness as a Donor-Intrinsic Factor on Stem Cell Transplant Composition and Recipient Outcomes
Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HPC) can be mobilized through both exogenous and endogenous mechanisms. The growth factor G-CSF is commonly used to mobilize HPCs for the treatment of blood cancers such as acute myeloid leukemia via HPC transplantation. However, this approach can cause side effects and often results in uneven distribution of CD34+ cell populations in the transplant. Intensive physical activity can serve as a natural endogenous trigger, increasing circulating HPCs through adrenergic signals and mechanical stress without side effects. Regular training may therefore represent a valuable supportive therapy by strengthening bone marrow stem cells and enhancing their resilience to stressors, including those mobilized into circulation by exogenous G-CSF. Furthermore, higher cardiorespiratory fitness in the donor may improve the quality of the CD34+ transplant and potentially transplantation outcomes, similar to the effect of younger donor age. This study, led by PD Dr. Julia Maria Kröpfl, investigates the contribution of cardiorespiratory fitness to the effectiveness and viability of CD34+ cells mobilized by G-CSF or acute physical activity, and whether transplants from fitter donors yield better outcomes. The findings may form the basis for future use of physical activity in stem cell transplantation.
Project Partners: PD Dr. Julia Kröpfl, Prof. Henner Hanssen, Prof. Dr. Andreas Holbro (Blood Donation Center Basel), Prof. Dr. Michael Medinger (Hematology, University Hospital Basel), Prof. Dr. Marijke Brink (DBM, University of Basel)
Publication:
Siebold, E., Infanti, L., Gruber, H. J., Stehle, G. T., Maurer, D., Ritter, E. T., ... & Kröpfl, J. M. (2026). Cellular profile of hematopoietic stem cells mobilized by exercise versus G-CSF in healthy related donors.European Journal of Applied Physiology, 1-14.