GPs in Europe combine efforts in the fight against CVD: EPCCS Summit 2018 in Barcelona

Barcelona, 15 and 16 March 2018 - Annual EPCCS CV Summit for Primary Care

The Annual EPCCS CV Summit for GPs and others with interest in primary care and a special interest in CVD was held in Barcelona, Spain this year. The programme consisted of four sessions with the following subjects: diabetes and vascular disease, elevated lipids and statins, hypertension, and heart failure. Each session started with a short update/introduction of the subject by an expert in that field followed by an interesting discussion by participants in the audience and a panel who translated the latest developments to relevance for European primary care. The presentations and discussions during these sessions are the basis for the next editions in the series of guidance documents for primary care (see EPCCS website for available_practical_guidance_documents . Other subjects that were discussed: peripheral arterial disease, workshop on blood pressure measurements and an abstract session with presentations from EPCCS participants.

Prior to the Annual EPCCS CV Summit, the EPCCS Council met for the second time. The EPCSS Council has been founded to bridge between the EPCCS Board and individual GPs and GP-organizations in different Europese countries and to expand the activities of EPCCS. The Council currently consists of representatives from about 30 countries. The development of the Council since the first meeting in Stratford-upon-Avon in December 2017 was discussed and future plans were made. Representatives from 19 countries were part of this second Council meeting. New countries who joined are Poland, Czech Republic and Serbia. Representatives of these new member countries gave a short presentation on the organization of primary care in their country, as other country representatives had done previously at the first_EPCCS_Council_Meeting . Ideas were exchanged on how activities of the Council can be expanded and be visible in independent countries.

Visit the EPCCS website.