It is not an unforgivable red pencil mistake. It is a deliberate choice to underline the need to correct the errors the Q in the title of the Novartis campaign ‘From heart to soul’, sponsored by the Italian Association of Heart Failure Patients (Aisc) and the Italian Heart Foundation (Fipc), to support the educational project ‘Listen to your heartbeat’. The initiative aims to bring attention to those who have a weak ‘heart’ because they have a high risk of cardiovascular disease or because they are unable to follow the clinical recommendations after an event such as a heart attack, which are essential to guide them to find a healthier ‘heart’. To give substance to this message – we read in a note – today, at the Hypertension Center of the Policlinico of Milan, free check-ups for the evaluation of the lipid profile and consultations with cardiology specialists will be offered, in what is the first of other stages that will be held in other regions of the Peninsula during the current year and the next.
“I would never have imagined, at 52, having to face a heart attack and change my post-surgery management – says Antonio Rossi, Olympic canoe champion – As an athlete I have always believed that my heart was in perfect shape, yet in that moment I realized the subtle difference that exists between a ‘heart’ and a ‘heart’. After the heart attack I understood how important it is not only to train the body, but also to take care of the heart in a complete and conscious way. It was through the cardiology reference center that I learned to manage the treatment, prevention and monitoring process, first and foremost of cholesterol levels, to prevent a ‘heart’ from remaining vulnerable”.
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in adults, 30% of which are attributable to a condition of thrombosis or atherosclerosis of the arterial wall (ischemic heart disease, ischemic stroke and peripheral arterial disease). In Italy, diseases involving the circulatory system cause over 220 thousand deaths each year, or 25 every hour. The ‘From heart to heart’ campaign is aimed at a dual target population. On the one hand, those who have a high risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (for example, those who have already had a heart attack or stroke, or suffer from diabetes, or have a family history of these diseases), on the other, those who have already had an acute event, but who do not follow the treatment path correctly (constant monitoring, follow-up at a reference center).
“With this initiative – explains Alberico Catapano, president of Sisa (Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis) – the intent to underline the importance of correct management of a ‘heart’ that is no longer what it used to be and that requires different and more conscious care and attention is clear. Through secondary prevention, a series of behaviors and deadlines to be respected for periodic checks on monitoring values (LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, etc.) and the progress of the therapeutic plan are encouraged. Maintaining LDL levels within the recommended limits is essential to reduce the risk of relapses and complications. Furthermore, rigorous and constant checks of these parameters allow for timely adaptation of therapies, thus improving the prognosis and quality of life of patients”.
This campaign “perfectly represents Novartis’ ongoing commitment to addressing the most complex challenges in the field of cardiovascular disease,” commented Paola Coco, Medical Head, Novartis Italy. “For over 40 years, we have continued to put the most advanced science and technologies at the service of health, developing new therapeutic solutions for cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases. Our commitment to secondary prevention continues, offering the support and resources needed to address the challenges that follow a cardiac event. We strongly believe in the power of strategic collaborations, as well as in innovative access models. Together with healthcare professionals, institutions and patient associations. Our goal is to help people live a longer and healthier life, preserving the strength of the heart and ensuring that no heart stops beating prematurely.”
Cardiovascular diseases are “the main cause of death in the world” and “even surpass tumors – underlines Stefano Carugo, director of the Cardio-thoracic Vascular Area Department of the Policlinico di Milano – The available innovations now allow us to prevent about 80% of cardiovascular events, but it is essential to promote initiatives like these, in which cardiology centers implement structured and personalized paths, essential to maintain optimal cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of adverse events. Moving from a weak ‘heart’ to a controlled ‘heart’ represents a very broad path to intercept and educate high-risk subjects. The role of cardiology centers is crucial in ensuring advanced treatments, continuous monitoring and constant support for patients, contributing decisively to the improvement of cardiovascular health”.
To effectively address this problem, “it is crucial that information and awareness are the pillars of our care system, both among citizens/patients and among healthcare professionals – adds Emanuela Folco, president of Fipc – Every educational initiative therefore represents an inestimable value in promoting the culture of prevention of cardiovascular diseases, also useful in ensuring that patients adhere to prescribed therapies, healthy lifestyles and regular medical check-ups. All these are key elements for the success of the treatment path. The issue of therapeutic adherence should be a strategic objective in the field of medicine and public health, actively involving general practitioners, pharmacists, hospital specialists and institutions”.
In patients who have survived a heart attack or stroke, secondary prevention becomes a priority to reduce the risk of recurrence and therefore improve their prognosis and quality of life. The correct management of these patients must, therefore, necessarily aim to reach the LDL cholesterol values recommended by the Joint Guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS), which are those lower than 55 mg/dL. “Awareness of cardiovascular risk among citizens is still limited – remarks Rossana Bordoni, president of Aisc Aps – as is the knowledge of the concrete actions that can be taken to prevent these pathologies or prevent their worsening. One of the most important initiatives is to promote a healthy lifestyle as a form of prevention and for us patients to be appropriately informed, a commitment that our Association has been carrying out for years”.
LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) is the main modifiable causal factor for the reduction of cardiovascular risk, as demonstrated by decades of clinical studies that have highlighted its role in determining atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Exposure over time to high levels of LDL cholesterol contributes to the formation of atheromatous plaque in the arteries, thus increasing the risk of acute ischemic events such as myocardial infarction and stroke. However, achieving an effective and sustained reduction in LDL over time is still a challenge, so much so that 8 out of 10 high-risk patients are unable to reduce their LDL cholesterol to the recommended levels. Added to this is the difficulty of adherence to therapy, a scenario that has shown that only 43.6% of the population already under treatment is adherent, reporting that this decreases over time due to the complexity of the therapeutic regimen and side effects.
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