Irish professor leads the way on heart health in Europe

AN IRISH professor is leading a panel of experts on a European platform with his knowledge and education on heart health.

New cardiology guidelines have been published by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the panel was chaired by Irish expert Professor Robert Byrne, Director of Cardiology at Mater Private Network.

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in women and men in Ireland. Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a key focus area of the new Guidelines, which provide detailed advice on treatment of heart disease.

Speaking from the European congress in Amsterdam, Prof. Bryne said: “The new guidelines highlight that time is critical to effective treatment and so, chest pain that lasts for more than 15 minutes and/or recurs within one hour should be taken very seriously.

 “Studies suggest that women go underdiagnosed for heart problems and thus we hope these guidelines will serve as a call to action to healthcare professionals, to ensure female patients receive evidence-based care and remain alert to the symptoms when treating women.”

Prof. Byrne is also a professor of Cardiovascular Research at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. With cardiology centres in both Dublin and Cork, Mater Private Network is Ireland’s leading provider in cardiovascular care.

The ESC is the world’s largest gathering of cardiovascular professionals and is taking place between 25 to 28 August in the Netherlands.