The law restricting smoking came into force on Friday 31 August. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the congress, Elena Salgado Méndez, Spain’s Minister for Health and Consumer Affairs said: “The law is for everyone, smokers and nonsmokers alike. It’s in favour of life and against disease.” Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain declared the WCC 2006 open and spoke of her pleasure in presiding over a meeting with the special theme of cardiovascular disease and ageing – a theme which she welcomed particularly as she is president of a foundation that focuses its efforts on the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain opens World Congress of Cardiology
and welcomes the cardiovascular and ageing theme
She said that while science was making major advances towards combating cardiovascular disease (CVD), these advances were expensive and not within the reach of many less-developed countries. “It’s becoming increasingly evident that the risk of cardiovascular disease can be significantly reduced through adopting simple, inexpensive, and effective measures, which basically involve a healthy diet, regular physical exercise, and avoiding tobacco consumption,” said Queen Sofia.
In his opening address, Michal Tendera, President of the ESC, explained that making ageing and CVD the main theme of this year’s congress highlighted one of the most important challenges facing cardiovascular medicine. The age structure of the European population would shift over the next 50 years and by 2050 for every 100 people aged 25 to 64, there would be 57 people aged 65 and over – twice as many as today, he explained.
“These persons will require a lot of cardiovascular care, and many of them will eventually die of heart disease or stroke, as the prevalence of death due to CVD shows a steep increase with age,” said Tendera.
He described the latest ESC initiatives, including the Heart Health Charter, to be finalised at the end of 2006, which defines tools needed to set up heart healthy environments.
Valentin Fuster, president of the World Heart Federation (WHF), called upon the United Nations to add cardiovascular diseases and other chronic diseases to the UN Millennium Development Goals for 2015.
He said that when the Millennium Declaration was launched in 2000, it had set out eight goals, three of which specifically focused on health. However, they failed to include cardiovascular and other chronic diseases and this was a major omission. “This omission can, and must, be rectified.” Fuster highlighted some of WHF’s current proactive initiatives that were designed to curb the evolving epidemic of cardiovascular diseases in low- and middle-income countries through advocacy, awareness building, and “above all, by hands-on demonstration projects”.
Elena Salgado Méndez,
Health and Consumer Affairs Minister
One notable partnership is with Sesame Workshop, which harnesses the popularity of the Spanish-language TV programme Plaza Sésamo to educate pre-school children and their families about hearthealthy habits.
Michel Komajda, WCC 2006 co-chair of the Congress Programme Committee, presented an overview of the WCC’s schedule, saying highlights included two Hot Line sessions, three Clinical Trial updates, clinical practice guidelines and Euro Heart surveys on acute coronary syndrome, percutaneous coronary intervention, acute heart failure, atrial fibrillation and CVD in elderly populations.
Sidney Smith, WCC 2006 co-chair of the Congress Programme Committee, praised the unique global planning and content of the meeting. He outlined some of this year’s WHF’s science initiatives, including cardiovascular ageing, women and heart disease, economic management of CVD in developing economies, global impact of CVD, new initiatives in secondary prevention and a symposium devoted to Chagas’ disease. He said the next World Congress of Cardiology would be in Buenos Aires in May 2008.
Playing host to the WCC 2006 placed Catalonia firmly on the world cardiology research map, said Pasqual Maragall I Mira, president of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia. The government of Catalonia, he added, was well aware of the challenge of medical research, and was providing support in the form of physical and financial resources. Joan Clos I Matheu, the Mayor of Barcelona provided further details, peaking of the city’s long tradition of medical research and practice that had been enhanced further by the new Barcelona Biomedical Research Park, promoting basic science research alongside cutting-edge clinical research.
“Beyond its history, its architecture andits dynamic economy, the city wants to be a focus of knowledge, science, progress, solidarity and peace,” he added.
The ESC Gold Medal was awarded to Sir Magdi Yacoub FRS, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the science and practice of cardiac surgery. Sir Magdi’s achievements include the development of original operations for complex heart conditions, and the establishment of the largest heart and lung transplantation programme in the world.
The other European countries that have banned smoking are: Ireland, Italy, Norway and Sweden.