Christian Knackstedt

Associate professor

Dr Christian Knackstedt was born in in Giessen (Germany). After completing his secondary school (Gymnasium) in Münster, he started his medical training at the University of Münster, Germany. During his studies, he spent some time abroad in France, Switzerland, and the US and finally obtained his medical degree.

After an interim position at the Department of Cardiology, Herz- und Diabeteszentrum, Bad Oeynhausen, he soon moved to the University Hospital at the RWTH Aachen University where he pursued his formation as internist and cardiologist. Also, he succeeded in obtaining his German 'promotion' and later 'habilitation' besides passing the board examinations for internal medicine, cardiology and sport medicine. Gaining some more expertise in the field of sport cardiology as a senior physician at the Institute of Cardiology and Sports medicine, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany, he finally returned to his roots as a clinical cardiologist at Maastricht UMC+. He now holds a position as senior physician with an expertise in heart failure.

My research interest has always been the niche between heart failure and imaging/ mostly echocardiography. One of the topics I am currently interested in, is early detection of cardiac dysfunction. This goes hand in hand with the application of new echocardiographic techniques in the clinical practice. Also, I have been engaged and involved in research activities to improve therapy of heart failure by different means.

Department of Cardiology
Universiteitssingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht
PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht

  • 2024
    • Achten, A., van Empel, V. P. M., Weerts, J., Mourmans, S., Beckers-Wesche, F., Spanjers, M., Gingele, A., Brunner-La Rocca, H.-P., Sanders-van Wijk, S., & Knackstedt, C. (2024). Changes in the diagnostic trajectory of transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis over six years. Heart and Vessels, 39(10), 857-866. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00380-024-02408-3
    • Muller, S. A., Achten, A., van der Meer, M. G., Zwetsloot, P.-P., Sanders-van Wijk, S., van der Harst, P., van Tintelen, J. P., te Riele, A. S. J. M., van Empel, V., Knackstedt, C., & Oerlemans, M. I. F. J. (2024). Absence of an increased wall thickness does not rule out cardiac amyloidosis. Amyloid-journal of Protein Folding Disorders, 31(3), 244-246. https://doi.org/10.1080/13506129.2024.2348681
    • Muller, S. A., Peiro-Aventin, B., Biagioni, G., Tini, G., Saturi, G., Kronberger, C., Achten, A., Dobner, S., te Rijdt, W. P., Gasperetti, A., te Riele, A. S. J. M., Varra, G. G., Ponziani, A., Hirsch, A., Porcari, A., van Der Meer, M. G., Zampieri, M., van Der Harst, P., Kammerlander, A., ... Oerlemans, M. I. F. J. (2024). Evaluation of the 2021 ESC recommendations for family screening in hereditary transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis. European journal of heart failure. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejhf.3339
    • Nebhwani, M., Chaibekava, K., Achten, A., Oerlemans, M. I. F. J., Michels, M., van der Meer, P., Nienhuis, H. L. A., Weerts, J., van Empel, V., Rocca, H. P. B. L., Wijk, S. S. V., van der Pol, J., & Knackstedt, C. (2024). Detection of cardiac amyloidosis on routine bone scintigraphy: an important gatekeeper role for the nuclear medicine physician. International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging, 40(6), 1183-1192. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10554-024-03085-z
    • Tingen, H. S. A., Tubben, A., Bijzet, J., van den Berg, M. P., van der Meer, P., Houwerzijl, E. J., Muntinghe, F. L. H., van der Zwaag, P. A., Glaudemans, A. W. J. M., Oerlemans, M. I. F. J., Knackstedt, C., Michels, M., Hirsch, A., Hazenberg, B. P. C., Slart, R. H. J. A., & Nienhuis, H. L. A. (2024). Cardiac [99mTc]Tc-hydroxydiphosphonate uptake on bone scintigraphy in patients with hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis: an early follow-up marker?European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, 51(3), 681-690. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00259-023-06459-y
    • Boeckmans, J., Sandrin, L., Knackstedt, C., & Schattenberg, J. M. (2024). Liver stiffness as a cornerstone in heart disease risk assessment. Liver International, 44(2), 344-356. https://doi.org/10.1111/liv.15801
    • HENKENS, MICHIEL. T. H. M., RAAFS, ANNE. G., VANLOON, T. I. M., VOS, JACQUELINE. L., VANDENWIJNGAARD, ARTHUR., BRUNNER, HAN. G., KRAPELS, INGRID. P. C., KNACKSTEDT, CHRISTIAN., GERRETSEN, SUZANNE., HAZEBROEK, MARK. R., VERNOOY, KEVIN., NIJVELDT, ROBIN., LUMENS, JOOST., & VERDONSCHOT, JOB. A. J. (2024). Left Atrial Function in Patients with Titin Cardiomyopathy. Journal of Cardiac Failure, 30(1), 51-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cardfail.2023.05.013
    • Gingele, A. J., Brandts, L., Vossen, K., Knackstedt, C., Boyne, J., & Rocca, H. P. B. L. (2024). Prognostic value of signs and symptoms in heart failure patients using remote telemonitoring. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 30(1), 180–185. Article 1357633X211039404. https://doi.org/10.1177/1357633X211039404
  • 2023
    • Knackstedt, C., Ramaekers, B., Schummers, G., Schreckenberg, M., Faessen, J., Marx, N., Becker, M., Sanders-van Wijk, S., van Empel, V., Norra, C., Kunert, H. J., Brunner-La Rocca, H.-P., & PsychEcho study group (2023). Influence of Individual Personality Traits of the Reader on Visual Assessment of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction: Another Reason to Abandon Visual Assessment. Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography, 36(12), 1332-1335. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.echo.2023.08.015
    • Weerts, J., Amin, H., Barandiarán Aizpurua, A., Gevaert, A. B., Handoko, M. L., Dauw, J., Tun, H. N., Rommel, K.-P., Verbrugge, F. H., Kresoja, K.-P., Sanders-van Wijk, S., Brunner-La Rocca, H.-P., Bayés-Genís, A., Lumens, J., Knackstedt, C., & van Empel, V. P. M. (2023). Webtool to enhance the accuracy of diagnostic algorithms for HFpEF: a prospective cross-over study. Esc heart failure, 10(6), 3493 - 3503. https://doi.org/10.1002/ehf2.14525