Atherosclerosis 2013: prevention, diagnostics and treatment Annual collaborative meeting 2013 of Italian and Russian Societies of Atherosclerosis (under the auspices of European Society of Atherosclerosis and Russian Society of Cardiology)
On March 2-3, 2013 in Rome, an annual collaborative meeting of Russian experts in diagnosis and treatment of atherosclerosis and experts of the Italian Atherosclerosis Society was held. The meeting was organized under the auspices of the Russian Society of Cardiology (RSC) and The European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) and chaired by EAS President Professor A.Catapano and RSC President Evgeny Shlyakhto. At the Russian side, Professor Yuri Karpov (President of the Russian National Atherosclerosis Society), RAMS academician Rafael Oganov, Professor Sergey Boitsov and Doctor I.Sergienko took part in the Meeting.
The purpose of the meeting was to further strengthen long-term cooperation and mutually beneficial joint activities between RSC, the Russian National Atherosclerosis Society, Italian Atherosclerosis Society and EAS, to integrate the Russian science into the European scientific societies.
That was the second annual meeting of the Russian and Italian experts in the field of atherosclerosis. The events allow effective experience exchange in development and renewal of national guidelines and standards, presentations of the latest achievements in the area of atherosclerosis, and planning regular joint projects aimed, at the end, at improvement of educational level of doctors as well as the quality of medical services to patients with cardio-vascular diseases.
For the first time, the initiative was realized in February 2012 when Presidents of national atherosclerosis societies Valery Kukharchuk and Professor Mesetti met to discuss the current problems of lipidology. In 2012, the Russian delegation was represented by RAMS academician Rafael Oganov, Professor Albert Galyavich, Prefessor V.Gurevich, Professor Oksana Drapkina, Professor Yuri Karpov, Professor Zhanna Kobalava, Professor Natalia Koziolova, Professor A. Panov, V.Skinitsky, Doctor A.Susekov.
Problems of national guidelines renewal were raised taking into account issue of the renewed version of European dyslipidemia guidelines 2011. The specificities of treating standards for atherosclerosis associated diseases were discussed. The results of the current registries and clinical trials were presented. In particular, both Italian and Russian experts reported the results of international investigation DYSIS – Dyslipidemia International Survey that was held in both countries according to one protocol and showed the significant differences between the guidelines and the real clinical practice in both countries.
An important problem that attracted general attention among the experts was growing interest in combination hypolipidemic therapy (statin+ Ezetimibum). Taking into account of the finalized clinical trial SHARP results, the combination therapy (low doses of statin – Simvastatinum 20mg and Ezetimibum 10mg) significantly decreses the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with chronic kidney disease, in other words in those patients in whom statin dose titration must be done carefully due to high risk of myopathy/rhabdomyolysis development.
One of the purposes of the joint meeting in March 2013 was development of the plan cooperative activities. The effective ways to introduce the renewed dyslipidemia guidelines into clinical practice were discussed. After the short greetings by Professor Catapano and Professor Shlyakhto, President of the Russian National Atherosclerosis Society Yuri Karpov as well as Director of the State Research Institute of Preventive Medicine Sergey Boitsov delivered their presentations..
In his lecture, Professor Yuri Karpov presented the key achievements of the Society for 2012 in scientific and educational spheres. Much attention was paid to the issue of the V renewed version of Russian dyslipidemia guidelines 2013 that are written on the basis of European guidelines 2011 adapted by the Russian experts. Before the Russian guidelines were finally accepted the draft was presented to Professor Catapano on May 27, 2012 in Milan during the European Atherosclerosis Congress. In addition, special attention was paid to the annual conference of the Russian National Atherosclerosis Society that traditionally is held a day before opening the Russian National Congress of Cardiology. Plans for further cooperation were reported as well.
In his lecture devoted to the review of current guidelines on cardiovascular prevention, Professor Sergey Boitsov presented the results of different approaches to cardiovascular prevention, the data of his own epidemiologic investigation as well as stressed the current necessity in guidelines for general practitioners that would allow to dramatically improve the level of cardiovascular prevention in Russia.
The presentations were followed by active discussion of the key problems of the meeting. The experts considered the structure of medical services in Italy and Russia and compared the accessibility of hypolipidemic therapy in both countries.
The talk of EAS President Professor Alberico Catapano included a number of important issues of further integration of the Russian National Society of Atherosclerosis and EAS. President Catapano noted how important such meetings are for both societies. He also mentioned a project on finding and registering patients with family hypercholesterolemia that is being started under the auspices of EAS. Professor Catapano gave a detailed talk on the possibilities for the Russian doctors and researchers to publish their works in European Atherosclerosis Journal, listed the requirements that the publications must meet as well as potential assignments for delegated by RSC Russian reviewers.
Doctor Sergienko initiated publication in the Russian journal “Atherosclerosis and Dislipidemia” the key news of EAS. The special attention in the Professor’s talk was paid to educational events. EAS provides theoretical and practical Courses of Lipidology for doctors interested in the area. In addition, the experts discussed the results of recently finalized clinical trial HPS2-THRIVE and expressed their hope for the timely finish of IMPROVE-IT trial. All participants of the meeting took an active part in the discussion of prospects and tendencies in drug therapy of dyslipidemia.
Professor Shlyakhto remarked that the initiative of the Russian Society of Cardiology on integration into ESC should be supported at the level of atherosclerosis societies, and the most talented Russian scientists should be identified and sent to EAS for further active integration.
Both sides mentioned the friendly and fruitful character of the Meeting, the high level of the presentations and developed a new plan of cooperation for 2013.
The next meeting is planned for June 2013 in Lion during the European Atherosclerosis Congress.
National Atherosclerosis Society is thanking MSD Pharmaceuticals Company for continuous cooperation and support as well as its assistance in organization and holding that joint Russian-Italian Meeting.
