“The Foundation’s Anmco Study Center deals with clinical research, especially orphan studies, which have no commercial implications. Then there is the sector of innovative research on aspects that are not yet clear, on situations that go beyond the normal cardiovascular risk factors”. This was stated by Domenico Gabrielli, president of the Foundation ‘per il Tuo cuore’, a non-profit organization set up in 1998 by the National Association of hospital cardiologists (Anmco), on the sidelines of the national Congress underway in Rimini from 18 to 20 May.
Within the congress “we have various activities ranging from the symposium on clinical studies of Anmco – explains the president – to the presentation of the state of the art on awareness-raising activities on the prevention of cardiovascular diseases in the population, the Foundation’s mission”. Furthermore, “an important symposium with the cardiologists of the American Heart Association, scientific partner on clinical cardiological research on both sides of the ocean – recalls Gabrielli – There will be links on social networks to disseminate the data of the studies more imported. One of the activities we try to carry out – he continues – is to disseminate the clinical data of the studies to the population, that is, the practical importance, in everyday reality, of what emerges from the studies”.
The historical example is that of the Gissi-Outliers studies “which evaluated – explains the president – why, for example, some people with many risk factors for ischemic pathology do not develop the disease and why, conversely, those with fewer factors, the present. These studies – he continues – have led to the diffusion of networks for myocardial infarction, an example of the ability of Italian cardiology to network. Furthermore, 2 studies have started – recalls Gabrielli – one in the field of prevention and the other for heart failure to photograph the current situation in the two fields in Italy to understand what actions are necessary to improve our ability to treat heart failure and risk prevention of events such as stroke and heart attack”.
Among the other activities of the Foundation, the ‘truck tour bank of the heart’ stands out, which carries out prevention in Italian squares and ‘open cardiology’, cardiological consultancy during the week of Valentine’s Day. “With Covid the activity was done remotely over the phone – says the president – but from next year he will be in person with advice and visits for the population. This year from February 13 to 19, more than 600 cardiologists provided over 1500 hours of telephone counseling.
The Foundation is very attentive to gender cardiology and the training of young people. “With the American Heart Association – adds the president – we will launch a prevention campaign for women. We want to bring the ‘go red for women’ initiative to Italy, the red carpet for prevention in women that takes place in Anglo-Saxon countries. With Rotary – continues Gabrielli – we have prevention projects in schools and for difficult adolescents, even outside of school to raise awareness of the effects of substance and drug abuse on the heart. For a few months – he concludes – there has been ‘heart harmony’ in which we combine scientific information with classical music concerts to raise awareness of the need for cardiovascular prevention and fundraising for the activities we carry out”.
