On the occasion of the Cardiovascular Health Congress, which will be held from October 24 to 26 in Bilbao, Gaceta Médica interviews Luis Rodríguez Padial, president of the Spanish Society of Cardiology (SEC) to find out the most notable aspects that will be addressed during it . In this conversation, the president of the SEC has highlighted the importance of focusing attention on the positive impact of GLP-1 agonists on cardiovascular health, underscoring their crucial role in the prevention and treatment of heart diseases. Their perspective highlights the need to integrate these advances into clinical practice to improve patient care.
Ask. What aspects will be discussed during the Cardiovascular Health Congress, which will be held from October 24 to 26 in Bilbao?
Answer. Many clinical aspects will be addressed, such as the discussion of the clinical practice guideline of the European Society of Cardiology and strategies to combat cardiovascular diseases. We will also discuss research carried out in Spain, including the high percentage of cardiovascular patients who abandon their medication. In addition, important developments will be presented, such as new drugs for weight loss, as well as updated strategies for the treatment of heart failure. This Congress brings together the different areas of cardiology to show the latest advances. Likewise, there will be a line of basic research aimed at clinical cardiologists.
Q. Regarding weight loss drugs, which are a hot topic, will they address the relationship between obesity and cardiovascular disease?
A. We approach it from that perspective. Losing weight is very beneficial, but the focus must be on how weight loss reduces cardiovascular complications, which are the main cause of death in these patients. By losing weight, and probably due to other mechanisms that these drugs have and that are not yet known in detail, patients experience fewer admissions for heart failure and lower mortality. We must emphasize the positive impact of these drugs on cardiovascular health.
Q. Precisely, during the European Congress of Cardiology it was discussed that two thirds of deaths related to a high BMI were due to cardiovascular diseases.
A. Indeed, the majority of these deaths are due to cardiovascular diseases. Sometimes laboratories focus on weight loss, but we approach it from the perspective that, by losing weight and with other mechanisms that are still being investigated, cardiovascular mortality can be reduced. That will be our focus.
Q. What are the main lines of work that the SEC will follow in the coming years?
A. There are lines of work that have been maintained for years because they are fundamental. We have been focused on improving quality and providing information about it, such as the ‘Recalcar’ program, which collects data on patient hospitalizations. These data are analyzed and information is offered to health services and hospitals about the quality of care in patients with various diseases, including mortality and readmission rates. We are also working to evaluate patient perception, since until now we have focused on technical aspects of quality, but we had not considered the perception that patients have about the treatment received. One of the initiatives that I have started and that I hope to continue is to raise awareness among both the cardiology community and the population about the importance of cardiovascular disease in women. Most of them are not aware that this is their main cause of death, and neither are many doctors. This lack of awareness results in less attention to their health, which leads to worse outcomes. This year, studies have been published that address the differences between men and women to improve knowledge in this area. In addition, we have initiated various studies to investigate specific pathologies in women, such as coronary artery dissection, the treatment of which is not entirely clear. In fact, this topic will be discussed at length in Congress, and we will continue to work in that direction.
Q. Is the issue of there being less awareness about cardiovascular pathology in women something that has been going on for some time?
A. This problem comes from afar, since women tend to be more aware of the importance of tumors, but not about the fact that cardiovascular disease is their main cause of death. By not knowing this, they take less care in aspects such as controlling cholesterol or blood pressure, and if they experience any discomfort, they take longer to go to the hospital. This negatively affects the quality of care they receive, precisely because we are not sufficiently aware of this reality. Our goal is to change that, to raise awareness about the importance of this issue, since more than half of the population, which is women, is not fully aware of the risk. Some studies indicate that only 30 to 40 percent of women know that cardiovascular disease is their leading cause of death. This lack of knowledge has existed for years and is due to multiple factors.
Q. And is this disease more prevalent in men or women?
A. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease is higher in women, but varies depending on the stage of life. At younger ages, it is usually more common in men, but as the years go by it increases in women, due to the hormonal changes they experience. Some diseases are influenced by the hormonal profile of each moment. Although menopause is not a disease nor does it directly cause others, it does make the female body more sensitive to the risk factors that develop and increase after that stage, such as hypertension.
Q. You mentioned before that you want to focus a lot on the aspect of quality of care. What is it referring to?
A. Yes, we have been focused on that for some time. The objective is to provide tools so that cardiologists know how we treat our patients and how to improve. Another issue that we will address at the Congress is that we want to obtain sustainability accreditation for all the processes that we have implemented. Our intention is to convey this commitment to both our partners and the population, demonstrating that, within the SEC, we strive to do things in an orderly and responsible manner.
Q. You recently mentioned that the SEC is planning to improve the quality of internal processes. At what point are they?
A. We have already started the processes and optimized coordination between all staff. Regardless of accreditation, the manager and team are already working in these areas to streamline the process so that accreditation is faster.
Q. And in terms of research, what would you say are the main challenges in driving forward findings on new treatments?
Currently, there are new techniques that allow drugs to be identified more quickly and efficiently. The mRNA has been rapidly translated into various treatments, such as those to lower cholesterol. Specifically, there is an injection that can lower cholesterol by 50 to 60 percent for several months. Before we had antibodies or blockers, but now we have drugs that act inside the cell, achieving this benefit. Research is also focusing on how to control mild inflammation, an important factor in cardiovascular pathologies, while optimizing existing treatments, such as identifying which patients benefit most from a defibrillator. On the other hand, clinical research is providing valuable information. Although research always brings new developments, we are in a time in which the practical application of these findings is giving tangible results. Some of the cholesterol-lowering drugs and other treatments are derived from the work of 2024 Nobel Prize-winning researchers who began their studies in worms many years ago.
Q. Finally, what are the short, medium and long-term challenges that the specialty faces?
A. We are in a changing world and the challenge that the SEC has is to try to continue being leaders of Spanish scientific societies. The format of the Congress will be adapted to meet the needs of cardiologists and during it numerous new developments from small companies that develop products that provide clinical information will be presented, and it will be important to evaluate how these advances are integrated into medical practice.