According to the cardiologist and scientific chairman of the CNIC, the Spanish national cardiovascular research centre, factors such as excess weight and smoking increase the risk of suffering from disorders of this type from the age of 50 onwards.

At a talk organised by the abertis foundation yesterday, the cardiologist Valentí Fuster stressed the importance of research in detecting cardiovascular illness at an early stage using new technology such as imaging techniques, which make it possible to diagnose possible lesions or heart attack risks.

During his talk, which took place at the Catalan national museum of art in Barcelona under the title of “The 21st Century Challenge: Health as a Priority”, Valentí Fuster outlined the latest research carried out in the city of Chicago, which involved over 7,000 volunteers and included a comprehensive study of the carotid/coronary arteries and the aeorta, and  helped make possible early diagnosis of at-risk individuals.

The cardiologist, who is the director of the Cardiovascular Institute at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital and scientific chairman of the Spanish national cardiovascular research centre (CNIC), stated that from the age of 50 onwards for men and 60 in the case of women, the so-called “risk factors” connected with cardiovascular illness (smoking, excess weight, high blood pressure, a sedentary lifestyle, diabetes and high cholesterol) must be avoided as far as possible. He pointed out that individuals with any of these factors have a 25% higher chance of suffering a stroke or a heart attack in the next ten years.

Valentí Fuster also stated that, “It is a mistake to believe that these illnesses belong only to developed countries,” and gave several examples of education programmes to raise public awareness of the importance of prevention and research. In this respect he announced that next year the CNIC will have 165 researchers, twice as many as now.

About the Abertis Foundation

The abertis foundation is part of the response to CSR by abertis, the leading group in the field of mobility infrastructures and telecommunications. Since 1999 the foundation has worked to foster research into the repercussions of major infrastructures on the regions, especially on the economy, population and environment.

The foundation regularly organises symposia to present the main conclusions of the research work it backs and to debate topics of social interest such as historic heritage management, road traffic anthropology and challenges of a social nature.

It also pursues an extensive Road Safety Programme to raise public awareness. Activities to foster safe, responsible mobility form part, along with the organisation of Dr. Fuster’s talk, of the actions taken by the abertis foundation to improve people’s lives. The abertis foundation is also a member of the board of patrons of the Fundación Pro CNIC.