PRESIDENT-ELECT PUSKA EXPLAINS WORLD HEART FEDERATION’S “USEFUL” COLLABORATION WITH DIABETES, STROKE BODIES
Although Pekka Puska is next in line to be President of the World Heart Federation, it is not unusual for him to be active in the affairs of other nongovernmental organizations that emphasize other diseases.
For example, Dr Puska is President of the 5th World Congress on Prevention of Diabetes and its Complications, which will convene in 1-4 June 2008 in his native Finland with the World Heart Federation as one of two “main supporting organizations”, the other being the International Diabetes Federation.
On 25 September 2008 Dr Puska will attend the 6th World Stroke Congress in Vienna, Austria. He and Australian neurologist Geoffrey A. Donnan will lead a joint plenary session of the World Heart Federation and the World Stroke Organization entitled “Heart Meets Brain”.
Good reasons to collaborate
As Dr Puska explains, there are good reasons for “heart people” to collaborate closely with “diabetes people” and “stroke people”.
That’s because the deadly threesome of heart disease, diabetes and stroke are major noncommunicable diseases that share much the same risk factors and claim most of their victims in low- and middle-income countries.
“From the World Heart Federation point of view, the close collaboration with the organizations advocating for the prevention and control of diabetes and stroke is extremely important and useful,” he said.
Cardiovascular disease and diabetes closely linked
Indeed, it would be difficult to speak of cardiovascular disease’s place as mankind’s biggest killer without speaking also of diabetes.
Consider that 80% of the 246 million people who have diabetes will die of cardiovascular disease (which comprises heart disease and stroke), according to the World Health Organization. With the number of people with diabetes expected to be 380 million by 2025, one can anticipate a corresponding increase in the number of deaths from cardiovascular disease.
Consider also that people who have Type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke as people who do not.
Same risk factors
As for the risk factors for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes and of its complications, they are essentially the same: physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, overweight and obesity, tobacco smoking, high blood glucose and the overconsumption of alcohol.
The risk factors for heart disease and stroke are essentially the same as those for heart disease and diabetes, with the addition of high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol.
“From the public health point of view, the heart, diabetes and stroke institutions are really talking about doing the same thing – encouraging people to be more physically active, to eat healthier foods, to avoid tobacco smoke, to lose weight and to reduce their blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood glucose,” Dr Puska said. “That’s why there is, and should continue to be, so much collaboration.”
The collaboration takes many forms other than the World Heart Federation’s prominent participation in the diabetes and stroke congresses. There are joint efforts to prevent obesity. Both the World Heart Federation and the International Diabetes Federation are founding members of the Global Alliance for the Prevention of Obesity and Related Chronic Disease. There are frequent informal consultations and contacts with many noncommunicable disease programmes of the World Health Organization.
“We are in the same boat and navigating the same stormy seas,” Dr Puska said. “Either we row together or we’ll be overwhelmed.”
To learn more about the International Diabetes Federation visit: http://www.idf.org/
To learn more about the 5th World Congress on Prevention of Diabetes and its Complications visit: http://www.diabetes.fi/index.php?lk_id=57
To learn more about the 6th World Stroke Congress visit: http://www.kenes.com/stroke2008/
To learn more about the World Stroke Organization visit: http://www.world-stroke.org/
