Fotis Karachalias CARDIOLOGIST CLINICAL Cardiac MRI Department

“Study of the association of pressure wave reflections, assessed by 24hr ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, with organ damage”

School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (2026)

• Hellenic Society of Cardiology (HSC)
• Working Groups of the HSC: “Young Cardiologists” and “Echocardiography”
• European Society of Cardiology (ESC)
• Athens Medical Association

• Collaborating Cardiologist, “Hygeia” Hospital (12/2025–present)
• Private Practice Cardiologist (2026–present)
• Collaborating Cardiologist, Cardiac MRI Department, “Hygeia” Hospital (12/2025–present)
• Collaborating Cardiologist, BIOKYTTARIKI Medical Group (2026–present)
• Research Associate, Cardiovascular Prevention & Research Unit, Laboratory of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, NKUA (2021–2025)
• Cardiology Resident, “G. Gennimatas” General Hospital of Athens (2021–2025)
• Internal Medicine Resident, “Alexandra” General Hospital of Athens (2018–2020)
• Military Physician, Hellenic Army (2018)
• Rural Service Physician, Primary Health Care Center of Gytheio & General Hospital of Sparta (2016–2017)

Education Experience

• Participation in postgraduate and continuing medical education programs, “Alexandra” General Hospital (2018–2020)
• Contributor to the MSc program “Arterial Hypertension and Associated Cardiovascular–Renal Diseases” (2020)
• Participation in the educational program of the Cardiology Department, “G. Gennimatas” Hospital (2021–2025)
• Participation in academic activities of the Laboratory of Pathophysiology, NKUA (2023–2025)

Clinical Interest:

• Clinical Cardiology
• Acute Coronary Syndromes
• Antithrombotic Therapy
• Heart Failure
• Cardiovascular Prevention
• Cardiovascular Imaging
• Arterial Hypertension
• Dyslipidemia
• Transthoracic Echocardiography
• StressEchocardiography

  Research Interest: 

• Hemodynamic biomarkers of vascular function
• Endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerotic disease
• Hypertension and target organ damage
• Investigator in the prospective observational study SAFAR (Non-invaSive Aortic ambulatory blood pressure monitoring For the detection of tARget organ damage)
• Research collaborator of the i24ABC Consortium (International 24-Hour Aortic Blood Pressure Consortium)

• Servier Research Grant in Hypertension 2025 for the study: “Non-invaSive Aortic ambulatory blood pressure monitoring For the detection of tARget organ damage – Follow Up Study (SAFAR-FU)”
• 1st Prize – Best Poster Presentation in the 25th Panhellenic Hypertension Congress for the study: “Association of 24-hour pressure wave reflections with hypertension-mediated target organ damage: The SAFAR study”

• Karachalias F, Yofoglu LK, Kakaletsis N, Grammatopoulos K, Argyris AA, Korompoki E, Athanasopoulou E, Papaioannou TG, Protogerou AD. Association of Augmentation Index With Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Am J Hypertens. 2025 Aug 14;38(9):686-696. doi: 10.1093/ajh/hpaf054. PMID: 40251858; PMCID: PMC12354286.
• Filippou, Spyridoula; Chatzinikita, Eirini; Athanasopoulou, Elpida; Karachalias, Fotios; Vassilakopoulos, Theodoros; Philippou, Anastassios FACSM; Protogerou, Athanasios. Comparison Of Peak Circulatory Power Between Normotensive And Hypertensive Individuals And Its Association With Central Hemodynamics And Carotid Remodeling. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 56(10S):p 891, October 2024. DOI: 10.1249/01.mss.0001060332.84162.2a
• Athanasopoulou, N.-A. Antonakis, F. Karachalias, L. Yofoglou, P. Kanatas, T.G. Papaioannou, E. Manios, P.P. Sfikakis, A. Protogerou, A. Argyris. Correlation of 24-hour isolates aortic systolic hypertension with leſt ventricular hypertrophy: data from the safar study Arterial Hypertension 2024; 33: 176-182.
• Athanasopoulou E, Karachalias F, Yofoglu L, Kanatas P, Danninger K, Weber T, Blacher J, Papaioannou TG, Manios E, Sfikakis PP, Argyris AA, Protogerou AD. 24-hour isolated aortic systolic hypertension phenotype and its association with carotid and cardiac damage: the SAFAR study. Hypertens Res. 2024 Dec 23. doi: 10.1038/s41440-024-02061-3. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39715791.
• Danninger, Kathrin; Weber, Thomas; Wassertheurer, Siegfried; Protogerou, Athanase; Sharman, James E.; Sala, Enrique Rodilla; Ortner, Stefan; Athanasopoulou, Elpida; Hametner, Bernhard; Mayer, Christopher; Li, Yan; Pascual, Jose Maria; Karachalias, Fotis; Stergiou, George; Bahous, Sola Aoun; Zhang, Yi; De La Sierra, Alejandro. BLOOD PRESSURE CLASSIFICATION USING BRACHIAL VERSUS CENTRAL HYPERTENSION PHENOTYPES AND ASSOCIATION WITH LEFT VENTRICULAR MASS – FINDINGS FROM THE I24ABC CONSORTIUM. Journal of Hypertension 42(Suppl 1):p e198, May 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/01.hjh.0001021440.63682.12
• Danninger, Kathrin; Weber, Thomas; Wassertheurer, Siegfried; Protogerou, Athanase; Sharman, James E.; Sala, Enrique Rodilla; Wilkinson, Ian; Hametner, Bernhard; Ortner, Stefan; Mayer, Christoph; Li, Yan; Pascual, Jose Maria; Argyris, Antonios; Athanasopoulou, Elpida; Karachalias, Fotis; Mceniery, Carmel; Stergiou, George; Gomes, Marco Antonio Mota; Mcdonnell, Barry. ISOLATED SYSTOLIC HYPERTENSION OF YOUTH – FINDINGS FROM THE I24ABC CONSORTIUM. Journal of Hypertension 42(Suppl 1):pe9, May2024.DOI: 10.1097/01.hjh.0001019408.63104.1a
• Athanasopoulou, Elpida; Weber, Thomas; Wassertheurer, Siegfried; Sharman, James E.; Argyris, Antonios; Sala, Enrique Rodilla; Jankowski, Piotr; Muiesan, Maria Lorenza; Giannattasio, Cristina; Wilkinson, Ian; Hametner, Bernhard; Orter, Stefan; Mayer, Christopher; Li, Yan; Pascual, Jose Maria; Danninger, Kathrin; Karachalias, Fotis; McEniery, Carmel; Pucci, Giacomo; Blacher, Jaques; Stergiou, George; Gomes, Marco Antonia Mota; McDonnell, Barry; de la Sierra, Alejandro; Piskorz, Daniel; Agharazii, Mohsen; Bahous, Sola Aoun; Perl, Sabine; Zhang, Yi; Nemcsik, Janos; Gkaliagkousi, Eugenia; Protogerou, Athanase; the international24 hour Aortic Blood pressure Consortium (i24ABC). HYPERTENSION PHENOTYPES BASED ON BRACHIAL AND AORTIC 24HR SYSTOLIC PRESSURE AND THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH HYPERTENSION PHENOTYPES BASED ON BOTH BRACHIAL AND AORTIC 24HR SYSTOLIC PRESSURE AND THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH LEFT VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY: FINDINGS FROM THE I24ABC CONSORTIUM. Journal of Hypertension 42(Suppl 1):p e201, May 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/01.hjh.0001021472.07396.e2
• Athanasopoulou, Elpida; Karachalias, Fotios; Yofoglou, Lazaros; Kanatas, Panagiotis; Weber, Thomas; Danninger, Kathrin; Blacher, Jacques; Manios, Efstathios; Protogerou, Athanase; Argyris, Antonios. 24 HOUR ISOLATED AORTIC SYSTOLIC HYPERTENSION AND HYPERTENSION MEDIATED ORGAN DAMAGE: DATA FROM THE SAFAR STUDY. Journal of Hypertension 42(Suppl 1):p e201-e202, May 2024. | DOI: 10.1097/01.hjh.0001021476.94022.b9
• Mouziouras, F. Karachalias, L. Giofoglou, P.P. Sfikakis, A.D. Protogerou, A.A. Argyris Association of pressure wave reflections and left ventricular mass: data derived from 24hr blood pressure monitoring ‐ the SAFAR study. Arterial Hypertension 2022; 31: 0-0.
• Karachalias F, Yofoglu LK, Georgakis MK, Tountas C, Argyris AA, Zhang Y, Papaioannou TG, Blacher J, Weber T, Vlachopoulos C, Safar M, Protogerou AD. Association of Pressure Wave Reflections With Left Ventricular Mass: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 2023 Mar;80(3):e29-e42. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.122.19980. Epub 2022 Dec 30. PMID: 36583390.