ARITMO

portrait of Professor Miriam Sturkenboom

Prof. Miriam Sturkenboom

Scientific Coordinator of ARITMO, based at Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Research field

Drug Safety

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Research Profile

Who?

“I want to make sure that harmful pharmaceuticals are withdrawn from the market as quickly as possible”, says Miriam Sturkenboom, Professor of Medical Informatics at Erasmus University Medical Centre in the Netherlands. Sturkenboom uses existing clinical databases to obtain information on drug safety.

Why?

Several non-cardiac drugs can cause small heart rhythm abnormalities. This may be fatal in some rare cases. ARITMO scientists will rank 400 drugs based on the likelihood that they will create heart problems. This can help medical doctors to choose the optimal medication for their patients. ARITMO will thus improve drug safety.

What?

The aim of ARITMO is to study the safety of 400 different types of drugs. These include antipsychotics, antihistamines, and antibiotics. ARITMO analyses side effects of these pharmaceuticals on the heart rhythm. The project integrates information from various sources, including the medical literature and large clinical databases.

How?

European collaboration makes it possible to use clinical data of millions of anonymous people. The unintended effects of drugs can then be studied in large populations as well as specific patient groups. This EU grant will enable ARITMO scientists to improve European drug safety by sharing their expertise and skills.

Evaluating side effects of medication on heart rhythm

In the Picture
In the Picture
ARITMO project website European Medicines Agency PDF versionPDF version
Image credits

Background image: ARITMO

Portrait of the project coordinator: ARITMO

Timeline (in chronological order): ARITMO