Heart Failure Congress: Record Abstract Submissions

Nearly 2,000 abstracts have been submitted to the scientific committee of Heart Failure 2017 and the 4th World Congress on Acute Heart Failure. The number sets a new record for original science submissions to the main annual meeting of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), which takes from 29 April to 2 May at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, France.

In addition to the main abstract programme, highly anticipated results from major studies will be presented in the late breaking trial sessions. Professor Alexandre Mebazaa, Heart Failure 2017 Scientific Chairperson, stated, "No other meeting has had so much new research presented in heart failure. Companies and major academic centres are eager to present results of their latest trials at this congress which is a good sign that it is the place to present new work in this field.”

Controversial issues will be tackled by top cardiologists in the new Grand Debates sessions, giving members of the press both sides of the story. Professor Eugene Braunwald will introduce the first session on LCZ696 (sacubitril/valsartan), and Professor John McMurray and Professor Mariell Jessup will battle out whether it is ready for prime time as first-line therapy.

The congress tagline “rendezvous with the future” emphasises the 2016 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure as the new standard of care and puts the spotlight on young cardiologists, represented by the Heart failure specialists of Tomorrow (HoTs).

The 50th anniversary of heart transplantation will be marked with dedicated sessions. Leaders in the field will explore the limits to heart transplantation. In addition, ESC Gold Medalist and cardiac surgery pioneer Professor Alain Carpentier will talk about the total artificial heart he invented in the session “Allez les Bleus! Groundbreaking French contributions to cardiology”.

The HFA Lifetime Achievement Award will be bestowed on two prominent cardiologists during the Inaugural Session and each will give a keynote lecture. In the HFA Philip Poole Wilson Lecture, Professor Faiez Zannad will reveal the next frontier for mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, while Professor Michel Komajda will devote the HFA Eugene Braunwald Lecture to the topic “Heart failure and diabetes mellitus: les liaisons dangereuses”.

Source: European Society of Cardiology
Image Credit: ESC