EAS Newsletter November 19, 2024

Society:

Announcing the Anitschkow Prize 2025. Congratulations to Dr Paul M. Ridker!

We are delighted to announce that the 2025 EAS Anitschkow Prize, the Society’s most prestigious award, will be presented to Dr. Paul M. Ridker, MD, MPH.

Dr. Ridker serves as the Eugene Braunwald Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and directs the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Over a remarkable 30-year career, Dr. Ridker and his collaborators have made groundbreaking contributions to cardiovascular medicine, including:

• Providing the first proof-of-principle for the inflammation hypothesis of atherothrombosis in humans.
• Demonstrating that statin therapy is both lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory.
• Developing the first FDA-approved diagnostic test for vascular inflammation (hsCRP).
• Identifying the first proven anti-inflammatory treatment for heart disease (canakinumab).
• Introducing the concept of “residual inflammatory risk” into clinical practice worldwide.

On multiple occasions Dr. Ridker’s work has altered clinical guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of atherosclerotic disease – the most common cause of death on a global basis. As a direct consequence of this work, multiple novel anti-inflammatory agents targeting interrelated aspects of heart disease ranging from chronic atherosclerosis to acute ischemia to congestive heart failure are under development at nearly all major pharmaceutical companies worldwide.

Dr. Ridker is additionally known for his leadership of over 15 major multi-national randomized clinical trials including PREVENT, JUPITER, SPIRE-1, SPIRE-2, CANTOS, CIRT, PROMINENT, the ongoing ATRIUM trial (addressing abatacept for immune checkpoint inhibitor myocarditis), and the ongoing ZEUS and HERMES trials (addressing IL-6 inhibition to reduce vascular event rates in the settings of CKD and HFpEF).

Continuously funded by the NIH and the recipient of multiple honorary degrees and international awards, Dr. Ridker is a Distinguished Scientist of the American Heart Association and an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, USA.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Ridker on this well-deserved recognition of his exceptional contributions to cardiovascular research and care.

Dr. Ridker will deliver his Anitschkow Lecture during the Opening Ceremony at the 2025 EAS Congress in Glasgow on May 4, 2025.

Outreach:

Introducing AtheroTalk: the new podcast, proudly brought by EAS Young Fellows!

We’re thrilled to announce AtheroTalk, the latest initiative proudly brought to you by the EAS Young Fellows! This podcast series dives deep into the world of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular research, featuring insights from leading experts in the field.

Tune in on Spotify and Apple Podcasts to hear engaging discussions, cutting-edge science, and fresh perspectives on the latest developments in cardiovascular health. Whether you’re a researcher, clinician, or simply passionate about advancing our understanding of heart disease, AtheroTalk will keep you informed and inspired.

The first episode has just dropped. You won’t want to miss it! Follow us on your favorite podcast platform and share your feedback.

Prepare to be inspired and stay tuned for more!

Collaboration:

Uniting communities of FH, including HeFH and HoFH, elevated Lp(a) and FCS

The FH Europe Foundation Annual Network Meeting 2024 also included people living with elevated Lp(a) levels and those with rarer conditions like familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS) and homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH).
 
These individuals shared invaluable perspectives, reminding us of the importance of early diagnosis, personalized care, and the need for continuous research. Their experiences highlighted the critical role of patient advocacy and the transformative power of peer support in navigating complex health challenges.
 
As a society, we learned the importance of being more inclusive in healthcare, acknowledging the diverse and often underrepresented voices within the rare disease community. Their resilience and willingness to educate others helped pave the way for a broader understanding of how conditions like FH and Lp(a) impact individuals’ lives.
 
We also realized that progress in medical research is not just about advancing science; it’s about improving access to treatments, enhancing quality of life, and ensuring that everyone – regardless of the rarity of their condition – has a seat at the table when it comes to shaping healthcare policy and practices.

Education:

Join us for the final event of the EAS-LatAm webinar series. Register now!

Long-term adherence to lipid-lowering therapy poses one of the greatest challenges in cardiovascular prevention. The effectiveness of therapy heavily depends on the individualization of medical treatment, the identification and resolution of barriers that prevent full treatment adoption, and the implementation of best practices in medical services. Cultural issues and peculiarities of care delivery systems hinder the universal application of the same strategies.

This symposium will feature a review of the variability in the effectiveness of lipid-lowering therapy around the world. Additionally, examples of best practices implemented in Europe and Latin America will be described.

All presentations will be given by highly recognized leaders in the field, representing the European Atherosclerosis Society and the EAS-LATAM group.

Register now to secure your seat:

Outreach:

EAS-LIPRA’s first epidemiology newsletter: a collaborative effort to enhance lipidology and cardiology research in Africa

EAS-LIPRA will launch its first epidemiology newsletter this winter as part of its mission to share recent developments in lipidology and preventive cardiology research across Africa.

With support from various regions of the Western world, EAS-LIPRA brings together researchers and clinicians from multiple countries across Africa with an interest in lipidology, cardiology and patient care to collaboratively compile a registry, in the first instance, including lipid profiles and other risk factors of patients with acute coronary syndrome.

The registry is actively recruiting and has enrolled 103 patients with acute coronary syndrome across five countries thus far with more contributions expected from our current 11-country network across Africa.

To subscribe to our upcoming six-monthly newsletters, please complete this form. To learn more about the project or get involved, please send an email to us to express your interest.

On behalf of all EAS-LIPRA Investigators,

The Project Management Team

Society:

EAS Calendar – November-December 2024

From insightful webinars to groundbreaking announcements, this section is your gateway to staying connected and up-to-date with the latest developments within the EAS Society.

October 1 – December 3, Abstract submission for the EAS Congress 2025

November 21-24, EAVA Cardiorisk 2024

December 3-6, SMNE-EAS Joint International Course

December 4-6, 20th International Symposium on Atherosclerosis

December 5-7, 11th National Panhellenic Congress of the Hellenic Atherosclerosis Society

December 5-8, 76th Annual Conference of the Cardiological Society of India 

December 11, EAS-LatAm webinar: How to improve the quality of care for patients with dyslipidemia?