Dr Alexandros Mitropoulos

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Dr Alexandros Mitropoulos BSc, MSc, PhD

Research Fellow in Clinical Exercise Physiology

Summary

Following my undergraduate studies in Sports Science and Physical Education at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece), and MSc course in Sports and Exercise Physiology at Leeds Beckett University, I completed a PhD in Clinical Exercise Physiology with a special focus on microvascular physiology at Sheffield Hallam University. Following my PhD, I completed a two-year post-doctoral at Royal Brompton Hospital in London. I joined Sheffield Hallam University in 2021 and I have been working since then as a research fellow. I have extensive experience in the design, development, and implementation of lifestyle (e.g., exercise, diet, behavioural change, education) interventions aiming to improve physiological and clinical outcomes for pre-clinical (e.g., older adults) and clinical populations. I am also an active member of the Lifestyle, Exercise and Nutrition Improvement (LENI) Research Group at Sheffield Hallam University.

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About

I am a member of the British Society of Rheumatology. I have presented my work in many international rheumatology conferences (such as the EULAR conferences in Amsterdam and Milan). I have also been invited to become a founding member of the EULAR non-pharmacological study group for connective tissue diseases, having also delivered invited seminars and workshops both in the UK and overseas.

I am currently leading a European multi-centre research clinical trial aiming to assess the effects of exercise on pain and fatigue in people living with systemic sclerosis. Our European collaborators in this study are the Karolinska Institute (Stockholm, Sweden), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Thessaloniki, Greece), Leiden Medical School (Leiden, The Netherlands), Copenhagen University (Copenhagen, Denmark), L. Vanvitelli University (Naples, Italy). I am interested to examine the effects of exercise on the cardiovascular and haematological markers in people living with systemic sclerosis.

I am also quite passionate about the reduction of percentages for people living with excess weight and thus preventing and/or reducing the risk for the excess weight-related non-communicable diseases such diabetes, metabolic syndrome, hypertension and cancer. Finally, another area of interest, is the use of technology and digital health to improve the cardiopulmonary and musculoskeletal rehabilitation in people living with respiratory and heart conditions.

Teaching

Current Research Projects
a) "Exploring the effects of a combined exercise programme on pain and fatigue outcomes in people with systemic sclerosis: A large multi-centre randomised controlled trial.'' Funded by a FOREUM research project grant.
b) "Online Cardiac Rehabilitation Intervention to Support People with Heart Failure (PORIAS-HF).” Funded by a Creating Knowledge SHU grant.
c) “Exploring the cardiovascular effects of vaping in long-term e-cigarette users (LIGER study)." Funded by a a Creating Knowledge SHU grant.
d) "Exploring the effect of aquatic exercise on prevention of cardiovascular disease in older adults (ACELA II)." Supported by Sheffield International Venues. 

Featured research projects
Link 1: https://www.leni-research.org/project/quality-of-life-systemic-sclerosis/
Link 2: https://www.leni-research.org/project/porias-hf
Link 3: https://www.leni-research.org/project/acela-ii

Research

Collaborators and sponsors
UK Higher Education Institutions: Northumbria University, University of Sheffield, King’s College London, Manchester Metropolitan University, Leeds Beckett University.

ii) Non-UK Higher Education Institutions: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), Karolinska Institute (Sweden), L. Vanvitelli University (Italy), Copenhagen University (Denmark), Leiden University Medical Centre (The Netherlands).

iii) NHS Organisations: Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS FT, Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS FT, Northumbria Healthcare NHS FT, Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS FT.

Publications

Journal articles

Mitropoulos, A., & Klonizakis, M. (2024). Comment on: The 2024 British Society for Rheumatology guideline for management of systemic sclerosis. Rheumatology (Oxford, England), keae657. http://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/keae657

Mitropoulos, A., Anifanti, Μ., Koukouvou, G., Ntovoli, Α., Alexandris, K., & Kouidi, E. (2024). Exploring the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of a real-time cardiac telerehabilitation and tele coaching programme using wearable devices in people with a recent myocardial infarction. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 16 (1). http://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-024-00992-5

Mitropoulos, A., Anifanti, M., Koukouvou, G., Ntovoli, A., Alexandris, K., & Kouidi, E. (2024). Exploring the effects of real-time online cardiac telerehabilitation using wearable devices compared to gym-based cardiac exercise in people with a recent myocardial infarction: a randomised controlled trial. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 11. http://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2024.1410616

Ntovoli, A., Anifanti, M., Koukouvou, G., Mitropoulos, A., Kouidi, E., & Alexandris, K. (2024). The Attitudes of Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases towards Online Exercise with the Mobile Monitoring of Their Health-Related Vital Sig. Sports, 12 (2). http://doi.org/10.3390/sports12020047

Prokopidis, K., Therdyothin, A., Giannos, P., Morwani-Mangnani, J., Ferentinos, P., Mitropoulos, A., & Isanejad, M. (2023). Does omega-3 supplementation improve the inflammatory profile of patients with heart failure? a systematic review and meta-analysis. Heart Failure Reviews, 28 (6), 1417-1425. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10741-023-10327-0

Klonizakis, M., & Mitropoulos, A. (2023). Assessing the effect of regular swimming exercise on the micro- and macrovascular physiology of older adults (ACELA II study). Frontiers in Physiology, 14. http://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2023.1223558

Parodis, I., Girard-Guyonvarc’h, C., Arnaud, L., Distler, O., Domján, A., Van den Ende, C.H.M., ... Boström, C. (2023). EULAR recommendations for the non-pharmacological management of systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. http://doi.org/10.1136/ard-2023-224416

Anifanti, M., Teloudi, A., Mitropoulos, A., Syrakou, N., Pagkopoulou, E., Triantafyllidou, E., ... Kouidi, E. (2023). Right Ventricular Morphology and Function after Exercise Training in People with Systemic Sclerosis: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study. Life, 13 (2). http://doi.org/10.3390/life13020545

Mitropoulos, A., Boström, C., Mattsson, M., Kouidi, E., Dimitroulas, T., Liem, S.I.E., ... Klonizakis, M. (2022). Exploring the effects of a combined exercise programme on pain and fatigue outcomes in people with systemic sclerosis: Study protocol for a large European multi-centre randomised controlled trial. Trials, 23. http://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-06853-1

Mitropoulos, A., Goodwill, S., Copeland, R., & Klonizakis, M. (2022). The relationship between physical activity and severity of covid-19 symptoms in non-hospitalised individuals. European Journal of Public Health. http://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckac097

Mitropoulos, A., & Klonizakis, M. (2021). Correspondence -Scientific critique on the effects of supervised exercise program and home exercise program in patients with systemic sclerosis: A randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases. http://doi.org/10.1111/1756-185X.14234

Mitropoulos, A., Song, W.-.J., Almaghlouth, F., Kemp, S., Polkey, M., & Hull, J.H. (2021). Detection and diagnosis of large airway collapse: a systematic review. ERJ Open Research, 7 (3), 00055-2021. http://doi.org/10.1183/23120541.00055-2021

Mitropoulos, A., Gumber, A., Crank, H., Akil, M., & Klonizakis, M. (2020). Exploring the feasibility of an exercise programme including aerobic and resistance training in people with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis. Clinical Rheumatology, 39 (6), 1889-1898. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-019-04921-7

Mitropoulos, A., Gumber, A., Akil, M., & Klonizakis, M. (2019). Exploring the microcirculatory effects of an exercise programme including aerobic and resistance training in people with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis. Microvascular Research, 125. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.mvr.2019.103887

Mitropoulos, A., Gumber, A., Crank, H., Akil, M., & Klonizakis, M. (2018). Investigating the effectiveness and feasibility of exercise on microvascular reactivity and quality of life in systemic sclerosis patients: study protocol for a feasibility study. Trials, 19, 647. http://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-018-2980-1

Mitropoulos, A., Gumber, A., Crank, H., Akil, M., & Klonizakis, M. (2018). The effects of upper and lower limb exercise on the microvascular reactivity in limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis patients. ARTHRITIS RESEARCH & THERAPY, 20. http://doi.org/10.1186/513075-018-1605-0

Mitropoulos, A., Gumber, A., Crank, H., & Klonizakis, M. (2017). Validation of an arm crank ergometer test for use in sedentary adults. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 16, 558-564. http://www.jssm.org/abstresearchajssm-16-558.xml.xml

Conference papers

Mitropoulos, A., Gumber, A., Crank, H., Akil, M., & Klonizakis, M. (2018). The effects of upper and lower limb exercise on the microvascular reactivity in systemic sclerosis patients (abstract only). Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 77, 1788. http://doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2018-eular.1979

Theses / Dissertations

Mitropoulos, A. (2018). The Effects of Exercise on Vascular Physiologyin Systemic Sclerosis Patients. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Klonizakis, M. http://doi.org/10.7190/shu-thesis-00213

Other activities

  • Founding member of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) nonpharmacological 
    treatment of autoimmune connective tissue diseases study group.
  • Active member of the British Society for Rheumatology and EULAR
  • Member of the Editorial Board in Frontiers of Physiology Journal
 

 

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