The symposium opened with a welcome from Ireland’s Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, setting the tone of innovation and equity in cardiovascular and diabetes prevention. Dr Benedetta Armocida, Coordinator of JACARDI, provided an overview of JACARDI’s objectives, highlighting the Joint Action’s commitment to shared learning and scalable implementation across Member States.

The spotlight then turned to the pilots – the core of JACARDI. Six pilots from Ireland, Finland, Belgium, Hungary and Ukraine presented their work, with a particular focus on cardiovascular screening and patient self-management.

Pilot presentations: progress across Europe

• Ireland:
  • STOP‑CVD (HSE): Katie Ellwood and Pooja Salgar outlined progress using natriuretic peptide screening to support risk stratification in primary care.
  • Healthy Heart Clubs (Croí Heart & Stroke Charity): Lisa Hynes highlighted the importance of structured rehabilitation and long‑term self‑management after cardiac events.
• Finland: Mia Färm (Finnish Diabetes Association) presented the Finnish Risk Calculator, supporting early identification and timely lifestyle intervention.
• Belgium: William Leysen (Diabetes Liga) shared preliminary results from the Halt2Diabetes studies, demonstrating the value of coordinated community‑level screening.
• Hungary: Gréta Máto (OKFŐ) discussed the role of advanced nurse practitioners in strengthening cardiovascular and diabetes screening in primary care.
• Ukraine: Nataliia Hryb (Public Health Centre Ukraine) discussed how they are delivering type 2 diabetes screening in challenging circumstances, underscoring resilience and commitment to patient care.

Across all pilots, a clear message emerged: prevention must be systematic, data-informed and patient-centred.

Women and cardiovascular health: advancing equity

The mid-morning session turned the focus on women with cardiovascular disease (CVD), a key pillar of JACARDI’s commitment to equity and diversity in cardiovascular and diabetes care. The session featured a keynote from JACARDI’s own Dr Héctor Bueno, Co-Leader on the Work Package on Data, who delivered a powerful message: “women are not small men”. His presentation emphasised the need to recognise sex-specific differences in disease presentation, diagnosis, and management.

This was further explored by Dr Mary Ryder, Associate Professor of General Nursing, and Prof. Amy O’Higgins, Consultant Obstetrician at The Coombe Hospital, offering complementary perspectives. Dr Ryder discussed the importance of addressing social determinants of health in cardiovascular prevention, while Prof O’Higgins focused on optimising cardiovascular health during pregnancy, a critical window for long‑term outcomes.

The session was rounded out by a patient story, providing a personal perspective on living with CVD. Her experiences reinforced the human impact behind the statistics and research, leaving a lasting impression on all attendees.

Diabetes and cardiovascular health

The afternoon session turned to diabetes, reflecting its deep interconnection with cardiovascular disease. Dr James (Jim) Januzzi from Harvard Medical School delivered a keynote on heart failure risk across the spectrum of dysglycaemia, stressing the need for integrated approaches. Dr Lisa Devine outlined the successes of Ireland’s Chronic Disease Management Programme, demonstrating how structured, national-level programmes can support early detection, patient engagement, and improved outcomes.

Finally, Prof. Sean Dinneen discussed progress toward a National Diabetes Registry in Ireland, reinforcing the importance of robust data to ensure interventions reach those who need them most, and highlighted the synergies brought about by projects such as JACARDI.

People at the heart of prevention

One of the strongest impressions from the day was how much can be achieved when expertise, curiosity, and compassion are translated into structured action. The symposium wasn’t just about data, tools, or programmes. It was about people: the teams working on the ground across Europe translating strategy into practice, the patients whose stories remind us why these efforts matter, and the exchange of knowledge among colleagues united in a common purpose.

The symposium left attendees not only informed but inspired. It reaffirmed the importance of integrated, patient-centred approaches for a healthier and stronger Europe.

L'articolo From pilots to policy: highlights from the Irish JACARDI Heart Health Symposium proviene da Jacardi.