A report from World Heart Day in Bosnia Herzegovina

As EAPC Young Ambassador, how did you contribute to the organisation of this event?

I initiated the organisation of activities to mark "World Heart Day" on 29 September 2022, with the Association of Cardiologists of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Members of the association, together with the Medical Degree students from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sarajevo, and students from the Sarajevo Medical School at the Sarajevo School of Science and Technology, conducted measurements of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels and blood pressure in the citizens of Sarajevo who attended the event. In addition, we discussed pharmacological therapy with them, the importance of adherence to therapy, and we advised the citizens about the importance of non-pharmacological ways which can be followed to prevent an acute cardiovascular incident.

Furthermore, six lectures were organised, which covered the cardiovascular topics related to primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular incidents:

1. The importance of detecting familial hypercholesterolemia (two lectures)
2. The therapeutic modality of hyperlipidaemia
3. The use of new pharmacological agents developed for the treatment of diabetes mellitus
4. The prevention of both venous and arterial thromboembolism
5. The importance of patient stratification in relation to metabolic disorder

Can you tell us more about how it was organised (city, regional or national level) and how many participants you had?

It was organised in the city centre of Sarajevo and attracted approximately 300 individuals. The main take-home message was that it is imperative to work continuously on the prevention of cardiovascular incidents, and that a joint effort between both health workers and citizens is required to achieve the best results.