The Baltic countries attended in large number, especially the Lithuanian delegates accounted for 115 out of the 780 attendees in total. Overall, the 8 Nordic Baltic countries were strongly represented, but in addition there were no less than 21 different nationalities, among the mainly cardiologists and nurses attending.
The Icelandic Society of Cardiology (ISC)is one of the smallest National Societies of the European Society of Cardiology with merely 86 members, and a limited structure; nevertheless, the president, Prof. Karl Andersen, FESC orchestrated - with the help of the organising and scientific programme committees, composed of representatives from all 8 countries - a grand and very professional event of which both the organisation and the contents left nothing to be desired: Three full days of four parallel sessions were conducted in the excellent venue of the Icelandic University and Cinema Complex.
A special programme dedicated to nursing ran throughout the congress and the sessions covered various topics of cardiovascular medicine, free papers as moderated abstract and poster sessions, symposia and overview lectures. The working groups of interventional cardiology and electrophysiology organised separate symposia in connection with their assembly and separate sessions focused on cardiovascular disease prevention and genetics. Special emphasis was given to translational studies, binding basic research to clinical practice. The programme included eminent invited international speakers from the Nordic Baltic region, the rest of Europe and the US.
Says Prof. Andersen, “With this important congress we focus on update sessions and cutting-edge topics in all areas of cardiovascular science. In my mind however, the congress is remarkable for the strong ties it generates between cardiologists, not only within our own region, but also towards the ESC. We have debates and discussions on how to apply new and highly specialised techniques such as percutaneous aortic valve placement, CT imaging and defibrillator therapy in the region". The NBCC 2009 definitely reached the Nordic Baltic National Societies' goal of bringing forward and disseminating new knowledge through interaction in Reykjavik.
The president of ISC believes that it has become more important than ever before, to reinforce academic research and scientific reasoning. He continues, "Co-operation in the field of registries and clinical research is also of interest to the Nordic-Baltic cardiologist. The 2000 cardiologists representing a population of 30 million in our region are bound to have a significant message to bring to the international community of cardiology and the collaboration with the ESC has been particularly valuable to this end”.
Out of the 207 abstracts, six were presented under the Young Investigator Competition category. Thor Aspelund of the Icelandic Heart Association was awarded the first price, a copy of the second edition of the ESC Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, for his explanation of the massive decline in coronary heart disease mortality rates in Iceland from 1981-2006. Brian Loegstrup from Denmark came second with his presentation of the Influence of abnormal glucose metabolism on coronary microvascular function after a recent myocardial infarction.
After the welcome by President Karl Andersen, the congress was opened by Professor Gudmundur Thorgeirsson who set the stage perfectly in his address Frontiers in Cardiovascular Research in 2009 - From Bench to Bedside to Populations.
The ESC Vice-President for National Societies and Fellowship, Dr Steen Dalby Kristensen (DK), congratulates the Icelandic society for a very well-organised meeting. He continues: “The success of the congress really stresses the existence of solid Nordic Baltic links in our profession. However, we also see an important consolidation of the partnership and involvement with the rest of Europe through the ESC, in the organisation of a joint ESC-ISC session on prevention and the fact that both ESC president, Prof. Roberto Ferrari and I have been invited to Reykjavik. The importance of European collaboration is getting even higher in these times of considerable economic strains, and together we have better chances of achieving our common goals.” Indeed, both Roberto Ferrari and Steen Dalby Kristensen spoke at the opening ceremony about the importance of the relationship between the ESC and the National Societies.
The ESC had a stand with the ISC in the exhibition and this presence was highly appreciated by the delegates and reinforced the message of automatic ESC membership through the membership of the National Society. Also, ESC Membership and Communication Director Anne Mascarelli visited the congress in order to meet with the ISC board and other representatives from the Nordic Baltic countries, in order to discuss current and future initiatives.
Many congress delegates made the most of their stay by visiting also the splendid countryside and enjoyed the genuine Icelandic hospitality both at the opening ceremony at the Reykjavik Art Museum and the banquet dinner at the geothermal resort, the Blue Lagoon.
The 23rd edition of the Nordic Baltic Congress will take place in June 2011 in Riga, Latvia.