International Symposium on: Challenges in Cardiovascular and Respiratory Diseases

Overall aim of the meeting: To review the latest developments in
cardiovascular and respiratory medicine, the links between these two areas
(shared pathogenetic mechanisms) and how these can be coordinated
better for the benefit of patients. Pulmonologists and cardiologists will be
brought up to date with the respective key issues in these two important
medical disciplines. Thereby, it is hoped that doctors from both specialties
will be better able to treat their patients, many of whom suffer from both
respiratory and cardiovascular problems.
Background: Cardiovascular (CVD) and respiratory (RD) diseases are
amongst the most common diseases and are the first and third most
common cause of death worldwide (17.9 and 3.3 million, respectively).
Their global economic burden is staggering, estimated to be $1.04
trillion for CVD and $2.1 for RD. Because of increases in ageing and better
treatment, the costs are estimated to rise further (e.g. £4.8 trillion for COPD
alone by 2030).
There is no doubt that the understanding of the causes and mechanisms
of CVD and RD has greatly improved during the past 50 years, which has
resulted in better diagnostic procedures (including monitoring) and
improved treatments (including preventative measures). This is due to
ever increasing specialization of researchers and clinicians, alike, large
investments by governments, medical and scientific societies and the
pharmaceutical industry.
Medical practice has also undergone major changes, with ever increasing
specialization of doctors and allied health professionals, many of whom
sub-specialize within their specialty (e.g. asthma specialists, some of
whom go even further to focus only on severe asthma, or cardiologists who
sub-specialise in rare forms of cardiomyopathy). While this provides more
effective treatments, it also creates a disconnect between the two disease
areas even though we have recognised that they are connected either
through direct heart-lung interactions or via shared systemic mechanisms.
The specific aims of this conference are to:
1) provide state-of-the-art updates of the major cardiovascular and
respiratory diseases
2) look for common mechanisms that link respiratory and cardiovascular
disease
3) identify unmet needs of joined up treatment strategies and stimulate
ideas for better integration of healthcare provision for patients with
cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.