WORLD HEART FEDERATION ADDRESSES CORONARY HEART DISEASE IN CHINA
WORLD HEART FEDERATION ADDRESSES CORONARY HEART DISEASE IN CHINA
2-6 September 2006, World Congress of Cardiology, Barcelona - Given that developing countries account for 80% of the world’s cardiovascular and other chronic diseases and that China is the most populous developing country, it should come as no surprise that there are many heart attacks and strokes in China.
Indeed, China’s burden of cardiovascular disease has only gotten heavier as the its breakneck economic growth has brought with it the risk factors common to richer countries, including less physical activity, unhealthy diets and tobacco smoking.
“Risk factors of coronary heart disease (CHD) have increased among both urban and rural Chinese, according to national level surveys,” said Professor Dong Zhao of Anzhen Hospital in Beijing. “CHD deaths rose significantly over a 20-year period, especially in young- and middle-aged people in China. Our study showed that as many as 58% of acute coronary events came from people who had a history of CHD.”
Eager to advance the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease, the World Heart Federation has
responded with a project called “Bridging the Gap on CHD Secondary Prevention in China” (BRIG).
The BRIG project is being carried out with partners the Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel
Diseases – Anzhen Hospital, Beijing, the Chinese Society of Cardiology and the China National Health Heart Programme. It aims to bridge the gap between guidelines for the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease and clinical practice in China and to improve the quality of care in patients with acute coronary syndrome.
The first phase of the project, which began a year ago and ended in July, involved surveying the quality of care of patients with acute coronary syndrome in Chinese hospitals. “Sixty-four hospitals from every province of China were recruited,” said Prof. Zhao. “They included not only the top hospitals with the most advanced facilities in each province but also hospitals in small cities with few resources and without the ability to do angiograms or PCI [percutaneous coronary intervention].”
The second phase, which is currently underway, is to identify whatever gaps may exist between patients with acute coronary syndrome and the application of guidelines for the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease in routine clinical practice.
The third phase, which is expected to begin late this year, will entail closing the gaps between the care of patients and the application of the guidelines through specific interventions, and then comprehensively evaluating the results.
“In China, we have an ideal opportunity to understand the status of secondary prevention of coronary heart disease at all levels of the health care system, to identify the obstacles to optimal care and to develop effective strategies for removing the obstacles so that patients can have healthier, happier, longer and more productive lives,” said Professor Sidney Smith, MD, chairman of the World Heart Federation’s Scientific Advisory Board.
“By ensuring that appropriate guidelines are used in clinical practice, patients will gain the benefit of full
treatment and the major gap between scientific knowledge and improved care will be bridged.”
The project concerns itself not only with in-hospital care but also the quality of care that patients receive after they leave the hospital.
“Equally as important as the quality of care that patients receive in hospitals is the care they receive after they are discharged and return home,” Dr Smith said. “Outpatient follow up is crucial. For example, patients need to be given correct medications, and they need to be counseled about steps they should take to minimize the risk of another coronary episode. The project appropriately aims to improve the quality of care that patients receive not just in the hospital but after they go home.”
Ultimately, the World Heart Federation hopes to replicate the project in other countries with developing
economies.
“The research under the leadership of Professor Zhao in China is providing an excellent example of what we hope to accomplish,” said Dr Smith.
-Ends-
About the World Heart Federation
The World Heart Federation, a nongovernmental organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, is committed to helping the global population achieve a longer and better life through prevention and control of heart disease and stroke, with a particular focus on low- and middle-income countries. It is comprised of 189 member societies of cardiology and heart foundations from over 100 countries covering the regions of Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas and Africa. For further information visit: www.worldheart.org
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At the World Congress of Cardiology, contact Victoria Dix on Tel: +41 79 707 7592 or E-mail:
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