The Medical University of Gdańsk participated in the sixth edition of the international EUROASPIRE programme, aimed at assessing the quality of cardiovascular disease prevention in Europe. In the study, conducted in 27 countries, Poland and the MUG were represented by Krzysztof Chlebus, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc., from the 1st Department of Cardiology at the MUG. The Gdańsk team led by Krzyszof Chlebus – students Jakub Kulczycki, Anna Iwanowska, Mateusz Sypniewski, Weronika Lewandowska, Natalia Piasecka, Amelia Gibka, Julia Migdałek, Julia Pętlicka, Emilia Żuchowska, Małgorzata Śwital, Mateusz Pawłowski – enrolled one of the largest patient cohorts among all participating centres.
EUROASPIRE is one of the most important European programmes assessing the extent to which scientific society guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention are reflected in everyday patient care. Successive editions of the programme have analysed, among other areas, the control of cholesterol levels and blood pressure, diabetes management, the prevalence of obesity and tobacco smoking, treatment methods used, and patient participation in cardiac rehabilitation.
The latest, sixth edition of the programme – EUROASPIRE VI – extends the scope of observation to the entire cardiovascular–renal–metabolic continuum. This makes it possible to view the prevention of chronic diseases from a broader perspective, taking into account the interrelationships between cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases and metabolic disorders.
A meeting of researchers participating in EUROASPIRE VI was held during the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Munich. The event also provided an opportunity to summarise 30 years of the programme, which was initiated in 1995 by Prof. David Wood, one of Europe’s leading experts in preventive cardiology.
A significant aspect of the MUG’s participation in EUROASPIRE VI is the scale of the patient group enrolled by the Gdańsk centre. As a result, the data obtained in Gdańsk will constitute an important element of the analyses conducted as part of the entire programme. Participation in the international project also makes it possible to compare the quality of care provided to Polish patients with practices applied in other European countries.
– Participation in EUROASPIRE VI enables us to compare the quality of care provided to Polish patients with practices in other European countries. Equally important is the fact that, thanks to the large patient cohort, the experience of our centre will have a real impact on the final analyses and conclusions of the entire programme – emphasises Krzysztof Chlebus, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc.
EUROASPIRE VI represents another stage in the long-term observation of changes in cardiovascular disease prevention across Europe. MUG’s participation in the project means not only the possibility of assessing Polish practice against the background of other countries, but also contributing to the data and analyses that may be used in the further development of strategies for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
