Dear Members,
The myocardial, pericardial and inflammatory diseases of the heart often have chronic clinical manifestation which spans among all age groups. Patients’ lives are affected by them and healthcare systems are challenged. Their management has been limited by lack of detailed understanding of the pathophysiology in many cases.
Recently, remarkable insight into the disease mechanisms has been gained and this is leading to strategies focusing on prevention of the clinical expression and on disease modification. As you are most likely aware, our WG has published together with the world’s experts a Consensus and Position Paper on the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac amyloidosis. This is an excellent paradigm of when understanding a disease enables favourable intervention which changes its natural course. More developments of this type in the field of myocardial, pericardial and inflammatory diseases will follow.
In parallel with the progress in science, our WG wants to learn how the care for these diseases reaches the patients and to take initiatives to improve patients’ lives. Communication which will be assisted by popular electronic platforms, education with a series of webinars and targeted initiatives focusing on colleagues and patients with M&P diseases are within the immediate plans of the WG. National initiatives related to M&P diseases are always of great interest and we will be delighted to learn about them and assist them where we can.
I wish you all an enjoyable summer.
On behalf of the Working Group nucleus,
Antonis Pantazis, Chairperson 2020-2022
Our mission: To reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease.