Tag Archives: BCS

Heart failure – best of times The conference was opened by Professor Theresa McDonagh, who showcased both triumphs and ongoing challenges in heart failure. She began by highlighting the key ingredients needed for good heart failure management – starting with the invaluable contribution of heart failure nurses to patient care, bolstered by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), and ambitious targets for training specialist heart failure consultants, aiming for 25% representation in tertiary centres and a third in district general hospitals. The role of B-type naturietic peptide (BNP) in heart failure management was underscored as pivotal, al

What is the future of cardiovascular health? NHS Medical Director Professor Sir Stephen Powis opened the conference by outlining the growing need to provide high quality cardiovascular care. With a quarter of deaths in England attributable to cardiovascular disease and a wider cost to the economy of £15.8 billion per year,1 there is an urgent need for innovative care pathways and new technologies. He showcased virtual wards as one example of innovation, with over 100,000 patients having been managed remotely in 2022.2 In Liverpool, a Telehealth team has successfully utilised a medical monitoring app to manage patients at home, leading to a 1

British Heart Foundation The biggest independent funder of cardiovascular research in the UK, The British Heart Foundation plays a leading role in the fight against diseases of the heart and circulation by support of vital, pioneering research into their causes, prevention, diagnosis and treatment through research grants. It funds around £100 million of heart research every year. https://www.bhf.org.uk/research/information-for-researchers British Cardiovascular Society/BJCA The British Cardiovascular Society is a registered charity that aims to support and represents those working in cardiovascular care and research, by providing access to t

Landmark trials in heart failure – 30 years from CONSENSUS With 2017 marking the 30th year since the publication of CONSENSUS,1 which first reported a reduction in mortality with enalapril versus placebo in patients with advanced heart failure (HF), the BCS held a dedicated session to review the seminal clinical trials and advances in chronic heart failure management in this period. Dr Rosita Zakeri (Royal Brompton Hospital, London) reviewed this session for us and spoke to the BJC afterwards. Rosita Zakeri The era of vasodilator therapy for heart failure began in the 1990s. Professor Karl Swedberg (University of Gothenberg, Sweden) began

The Congress offers a unique opportunity to showcase therapeutic and diagnostic advances, alongside cutting edge, bench- to-bedside science. There are five days of scientific sessions covering 150 cardiovascular topics with over 500 expert sessions. This year over 11,000 abstracts were submitted, and the theme is ‘Environment and the heart’. We at the BCS are holding dedicated sessions at the Congress, and on Saturday 29th August we are hosting a General Cardiology Day for General Practitioners and Allied Professionals, so do encourage your colleagues and primary care colleagues to join us. Extracurricular activities include a series of e