Heart research findings: risk and prevention

ESC Congress is the world’s largest gathering of cardiovascular professionals contributing to global awareness of the latest clinical trials and breakthrough discoveries. Clinical Services Journal provides an overview of some of the key findings around risk and prevention, presented at this year’s digital event.

From the role of vaccinations and gut health in improving outcomes, to new insights into the link between teenage depression and mid-life heart attack, this year’s digital conference highlighted the latest research findings on risk factors and prevention. High on the agenda were the findings of a study of nearly three-million Americans which showed that influenza and pneumonia vaccinations have a positive impact on reducing deaths from heart failure.1

One out of five individuals will develop heart failure in their lifetime. An estimated 26 million people are affected worldwide.2 Heart failure is a serious condition in which the heart cannot pump blood around the body as well at it should. It leads to a build-up of fluid in the lungs, causing shortness of breath and coughing, and impacts people’s quality of life, often requiring urgent hospitalisations. Respiratory infections such as influenza and pneumonia make heart failure worse, and annual vaccinations are recommended.