CaixaResearch Conference «Pandemics: overcoming COVID-19 and preparing for the future

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CaixaResearch Conference «Pandemics: overcoming COVID-19 and preparing for the future

September 29, 2021 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

How do we address heart disease?
First cause of global mortality

Wednesday, September 29, 2021, at 19 p.m.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the world and, according to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), they claim 18 million lives each year – 50.000 a day. Four out of every five deaths from cardiovascular diseases are due to coronary attacks and strokes and a third of these deaths occur prematurely in people under 70 years of age.

According to a study led by Dr. Valentín Fuster, one of the most prestigious cardiologists internationally, cases of cardiovascular disease have almost doubled since 1990 and deaths have increased by 50%. Many of them are premature deaths due to modifiable risk factors such as high blood pressure – the source of 10,8 million deaths annually –, unhealthy diets, overweight, obesity, excess LDL cholesterol or pollution. That is why Dr. Fuster has been directing studies such as the YES Program! or  Healthy Communities in more than 100.000 children, young people and adults in Spain, Mexico and the USA for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Studies are having excellent results, which indicate that prevention strategies are effective in reducing cardiovascular risk at both an individual and population level.

However, to alleviate this high mortality rate, innovation is also needed in the diagnosis and treatment of these diseases. The leading cause of death in the world is ischemic heart disease, responsible for 16% of all global deaths. The project GlyCardial, which has been supported by CaixaResearch Validate since 2015, has come up with an innovation that could be capable of changing this reality. It is the first device in the world capable of detecting a lack of blood flow to the heart through a simple diagnostic test, designed to be used in ambulances and emergencies and to be able to quickly and adequately treat patients.

We need more innovation and research to optimally address cardiovascular diseases, their prevention and cure, so that their incidence and fatality do not continue to increase in the world. But how is it most efficient to approach it?

Speakers:

Moderator:

  • Angeles Gomez, journalist The Confidential.

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Details

Date:
September 29, 2021
Time:
7: 00 pm - 8: 30 pm
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