Despite the increasing prevalence and the urgency, there are huge challenges in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of HF. Therefore, an understanding of the pathophysiology, attention to primary and secondary preventive measures, and a search for novel therapeutic approaches as well as multidisciplinary intervention are essential.
Important issues of the HF continuum have been discussed at a two-day meeting in the Le Meridian Vilnius Hotel, Vilnius, Lithuania, for the first time organized by the Working Group of Heart Failure of National Cardiac Societies of the Baltic countries.
The objective of the first Baltic Heart Failure Meeting (1st BHFM) was to bring together all those interested in the field of heart failure, to increase their medical knowledge and to share new insights and contribute to the improvement of heart failure patient care.
According to the information on European Board of Accreditation in Cardiology (EBAC) event evaluation forms, everyone enjoyed the scientific programme which was very exciting due to the outstanding faculty – invited speakers from European countries – Professor M.Komajda, Paris, France, President-elect of the European Society of Cardiology, Professor U. Dahlstrom, Linkoping, Sweden, Chairman of the Heart Failure Association of the ESC Committee on National Heart Failure Societies, Professor P. Ponikowski, Wroclaw, Poland, President-elect of the Heart Failure Association of the ESC, Professor I. Ekman, Goteburg University, Sweden; Professors D. Hager and Giedrimiene arrived from Connecticut University, Hartford, USA.
Since it was the first BHFM, the support from the bodies of the European Society of Cardiology was very important for the success of the meeting. It was a great honor to have world-wide known speakers discussing Heart Failure!
Opinion leaders in the field from Latvia: Associate Professor O. Kalejs, dr. I. Mintale, dr. G.Vevere, dr. E. Strike as well as from Estonia: dr K. Karu, dr. A. Mesikepp, Dr. M.Elmet delivered speeches on Heart Failure issues. Even five Associate Professors from Lithuania - A. Rudys, R. Jonkaitiene, A. Kavoliuniene, S. Aidietiene and G. Marinskis gave their excellent lectures on various topics in Heart Failure.
Beside all the attention to the continuum of Heart Failure during the first BHFM, some novelties have been introduced in the organization of conferences in the Baltic Region.
• A symposium dedicated to Heart Failure management programmes was organized on the second day of the conference, chaired by Professor U. Dahlstrom, Sweden and Associate Professor A. Kavoliuniene, Lithuania.
The positive novelty of the symposium was the participation of 54 cardiovascular nurses, an event quite unusual for many years in cardiological meetings in the Baltic countries.
• The symposium on activities of the WGHF in each Baltic country was presented by Professor R.Teesalu, Estonia, dr. G. Kamzola, Latvia, and Associate Professor A. Kavoliuniene, Lithuania.
• High technologies have been shown in the pharmaceutical and high tech exhibitions along with a 3D echocardiography workshop, organized by Philips.
• For the first time a cardiology conference in the Baltic countries has been granted by an EBAC certification. In total 328 cardiologists in HF patient-care – pulmonologists, nephrologists, cardiac surgeons, rehabilitologists were awarded by a 9 hour EBAC certificate.
The social programme included sightseeing in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, famous of beautiful architectural styles of Southern and Western Europe, Gothic and Renaissance, as well as the original Lithuanian Baroque that is also regarded as the last vivid flash of baroque in Europe. In 1994, the Old Town of Vilnius was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Vilnius along with Linz, Austria will become the European capital of culture in 2009.
A Gala dinner was accompanied by the jazz quintet from Klaipeda, leaded by a famous jazz musician – maestro P. Siauciulis.
The overall evaluation of the event has been excellent.
We appreciate the high attendance of the meeting in spite of busy schedules of Baltic physicians.
We would also like to thank everybody whose efforts have made this meeting possible.
Looking forward to the 2nd Baltic Heart Failure Meeting to be held in Riga, Latvia, in two years, 2010.
Ausra Kavoliuniene, MD, PhD, FESC,
Associate Professor of Cardiology, Kaunas University of Medicine, Lithuania
Chairperson of the Organizing Committee of the 1st BHFM