The CiMUS of the USC puts the focus on the high prevalence of cardiovascular disease, the main cause of death risk in the world, on the occasion of World Heart Day

• With a talk given by the cardiologist José Ramón González Juanatey, principal investigator of the Cardiovascular Area group of this Centre, followed by a round table with CiMUS researchers from the entire cardiovascular research area of the Centre to stress the importance of research in this field and raise awareness of its prevention, control and treatment.
• It will take place on Monday 30th at 13:00 in the Theatre Room of CiMUS.

On the occasion of World Heart Day, the CiMUS of the USC will organise a conference on 30 September to raise awareness of the high prevalence of cardiovascular disease by the cardiologist José Ramón González Juanatey, principal investigator of the Cardiovascular Area group of this Centre. The initiative, coordinated from this Singular Centre by the principal investigator Ricardo Villa Bellosta, seeks to highlight the importance of research in this field and to raise awareness of its prevention, control and treatment, since cardiovascular disease is currently the main cause of mortality in the world, representing a critical challenge for health systems worldwide.

The talk will begin at 13:00 hours, preceded by a brief introduction by Mabel Loza and José Luis Labandeira. After the talk, a round table discussion will be held with CiMUS researchers from the entire cardiovascular research area of the Centre to share the main advances in this field, which is so necessary considering that every year millions of people lose their lives due to complications derived from cardiovascular disease, a figure that includes both heart and cerebrovascular diseases and which reflects the magnitude of the impact of these pathologies on public health worldwide. In addition to José Ramón González Juanatey himself, the members of the round table will be Ricardo Villa Bellosta, Juan Zalvide and Ángel García, leading specialists in the field of vascular calcification, cerebral cavernomas (both also coordinators of projects in the USC Sumo Valor programme) and platelet proteomics, respectively.

Main risk factors

Cardiovascular disease can be caused by a wide variety of risk factors. Among the most common are smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. A sedentary lifestyle and an unhealthy diet also play a major role in increasing cardiovascular risk.

However, it is not only these classical factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease. Air pollution, especially in densely populated urban areas, has also been associated with an increased risk of developing heart problems. There are also less common diseases that can affect the heart, such as Chagas disease, endemic in some regions of Latin America, or cardiac amyloidosis, a rare condition that causes abnormal protein deposition in cardiac tissue, affecting its function.

Prevention and treatment strategies, both at the individual and community level

‘With the world's ageing population and the increasing prevalence of risk factors such as obesity and diabetes, the projections are worrying. It is estimated that, by 2030, the number of annual deaths due to cardiovascular disease could increase, even double. This increase suggests the urgency of implementing more effective prevention and treatment strategies, both at the individual and community level,’ explains CiMUS PI Ricardo Villa Bellosta.

Villa also stresses that cardiovascular disease is a global health threat that does not discriminate between developed and developing countries. ‘To meet this challenge, it is essential to promote changes in lifestyle habits, improve access to quality health services and continue research in areas such as prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of the various forms of cardiovascular disease. Only through a concerted global effort will it be possible to reduce the burden of this devastating disease in the coming decades,’ he says.