Center for Primary Cardiovascular Prevention of the Inter-Balkan Medical Center of Thessaloniki
The Center for Primary Cardiovascular Prevention of the Inter-Balkan Medical Center of Thessaloniki, following the most modern standards of Preventive Cardiology, aims to continuously improve its services in the field of Cardiovascular Prevention. In recognition of the level of organization and operation, the Center has been accredited by the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) since September 2024, being the only one in our country and one of the few corresponding centers in Europe.
Preventive cardiology encompasses the entire spectrum of cardiovascular disease prevention (CVD), at an individual and population level, at all stages of life. It includes the promotion of cardiovascular health, the management of individuals at risk of developing CVD and the management of patients with established cardiovascular disease, through multidisciplinary care in different settings.
Preventive cardiology covers all aspects of cardiovascular health and its determinants, including physical activity, exercise, sports, nutrition, weight management, smoking cessation, psychosocial factors and behavior change, environmental, genetic and biological risk factors, as well as protective cardiovascular medications.
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACD), although decreasing in many European countries, remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality. In recent decades, important risk factors for its occurrence have been identified. The most important way to prevent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is to promote a healthy lifestyle throughout life, especially without smoking.
Despite the fact that effective and safe treatments of risk factors have been developed, unhealthy lifestyles are still extremely widespread and ACAD risk factors are often inadequately treated, even in patients considered to be at high cardiovascular risk. Prevention of cardiovascular events by reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease is the focus of the Center for Primary Cardiovascular Prevention
Recent developments in the prediction of cardiovascular disease risk and the benefit of treatment, as well as new therapies and therapeutic targets, necessitate the corresponding adaptation of daily clinical practice. At the Center for Primary Cardiovascular Prevention of the Inter-Balkan Medical Center of Thessaloniki, we address individuals of all ages, without established CAD, with known or lesser-known risk factors, such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, smoking, diabetes, family history of early CAD, sedentary lifestyle, psychosocial stress, etc.
For each examinee, the identification and evaluation of both the main and auxiliary risk factors and the assessment of the overall cardiovascular risk, i.e. the probability of cardiovascular events, are carried out.
We then proceed to take preventive measures based on the individual characteristics of the patient and taking into particular account the differences in age, gender, risk factor profiles, expectations and priorities.
The comprehensive assessment of cardiovascular risk is performed using appropriate algorithms and paraclinical tests, such as blood tests, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, stress test and when indicated, with the help of more specialized cardiovascular imaging, such as coronary angiography, dynamic echocardiography, myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and carotid and peripheral artery triplex ultrasound.
The assessment of cardiovascular disease risk not only in apparently healthy individuals, but also in elderly individuals and in patients with diabetes mellitus or established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, provides the required information for targeted intervention at an individual level.
Assessing the benefits of smoking cessation, LDL-C reduction, and blood pressure reduction provides opportunities to communicate the overall benefit of treatment in an easily understood manner, setting the stage for initiating targeted, individualized treatment interventions.
Personalized treatment decisions using cardiovascular disease risk assessments and a stepwise approach to treatment are clearly more complex than a one-size-fits-all prevention strategy, but they reflect the diversity of patients and patient characteristics in clinical practice.
The therapeutic interventions proposed are aligned with the current guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology and follow a stepwise approach to treatment intensification as a tool to help physicians and patients pursue these therapeutic goals in a manner that suits the patient’s profile and preferences.
At the accredited Primary Cardiovascular Prevention Clinic of the Diabalkaniko Thessaloniki with its highly trained scientific and nursing staff, using the most advanced logistical infrastructure, we evaluate the overall risk profile of each individual individually, taking into account environmental, genetic and psychosocial components, we integrate the most modern medical treatments and propose a holistic Cardiovascular Prevention management plan, which includes realistic short-term, medium-term and long-term goals, with multiple benefits for patients, their families and the community.
The main objectives of the Primary Cardiovascular Prevention Center of the Inter-Balkan Medical Center of Thessaloniki include:
- Continuous improvement of the quality of preventive cardiovascular care in a manner harmonized with the standards of the European Society of Preventive Cardiology.
- Earning trust in the quality of preventive cardiovascular care by patients and their caregivers.
- Providing benchmarks for the quality of the logistical infrastructure, personnel and care provided.
