BHVS at the Global Heart Hub Training event
By Dr Nabila Laskar
The Global Heart Hub, in collaboration with the Heart Team Academy, recently hosted their inaugural training event, where BHVS was invited to present.
The Global Heart Hub is a non- profit alliance of 25 heart patient organisations dedicated to giving a voice to individuals with cardiovascular disease. Among the attendees were councils representing heart failure, heart valve disease, cardiomyopathy, and women’s heart health. Delegates from 38 countries, including Japan, Mexico, Canada, the USA, and Brazil, attended the event.
The first presentation was delivered by Dr. Sardaria Nia, a cardiothoracic surgeon from the Netherlands and leader of the Heart Team Academy. Dr. Nia covered the basics of heart valve disease, emphasising the importance of detection, patient-specific treatment, and the expertise required for novel therapies.
An interventional cardiologist, Dr Konstantinos, joined virtually to discuss the current guidelines on heart valve disease, highlighting the critical role of the heart valve team and outlining the intervention criteria for various valve pathologies.
Dr. Nabila Laskar represented BHVS, focusing on the management of asymptomatic heart valve disease. She discussed the significance of watchful waiting, the strict criteria for intervention, and detailed the findings of the AVATAR and STICH trials, weighing the pros and cons of early intervention in asymptomatic patients.
The event featured engaging discussions on topics such as sex differences in heart valve disease, the reliability of newer diagnostic tools like the digital stethoscope, and the appropriate age to commence heart valve disease awareness campaigns.
The afternoon session emphasised the importance of shared decision-making in heart valve disease management. It was concluded that there is much to learn in this area from both patient and physician perspectives. Patient decision aids were highlighted as valuable tools for facilitating discussions between patients and physicians, allowing for individualised treatment plans rather than generalised statistics on lifetime risks.
The day was inspiring, leaving delegates hopeful in their mission to raise awareness of heart valve disease. BHVS extends its gratitude to the Global Heart Hub and the Heart Team Academy for the opportunity to underscore the importance of heart valve disease.