Heart Week: Uniting patient and cardiologist voices in shaping a new future for patient outcomes

Coinciding with the start of the Heart Week (9 – 12 May), Professor Gemma Figtree, Interventional Cardiologist and Immediate Past President of the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance, and Dr Christian Verdicchio, CEO of Heart Support Australia joined Health Industry Hub to discuss the significant burden of disease for the four million Australians living with cardiovascular disease.

The Heart Foundation is making a bold call on the government, urging them to allocate funding for a targeted cardiovascular disease (CVD) screening program. Professor Figtree and Dr Verdicchio reflected on whether this is a robust enough step to significantly reduce the alarming rates of CV hospitalisations and deaths.

“We’re going to see a move towards better use of technology through imaging and molecular diagnostic tools for early diagnosis of cardiovascular disease at it’s treatable stage to prevent the actual event,” Professor Figtree explained.

With over 215 publications in leading cardiology journals, Professor Figtree shed light on the key advancements in therapeutic and diagnostic interventions that are enhancing patient outcomes, in addition to the pressing research gaps in cardiovascular disease.

Heart Support Australia took centre stage as the discussion shifted, sharing the organisation’s policy and advocacy initiatives for the year.

“It’s working with the Heart Foundation and other key stakeholders around CVD screening and the continuation of the heart health check,” stated Dr Verdicchio.

He continued, “It’s taking patients longer to get access to the latest therapies and interventions here in Australia. That’s really concerning and something that we want to continue to press, in addition to the expansion of community services in the long term.”

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