ISSUE 54 EWJ web - Journal - Page 39
Heart Patients set to Receive Treatment Tailored
to Their Genetic and Health Information
An innovative project using artificial intelligence (AI)
to personalise therapies for patients with cardiovascular disease has kicked off at a meeting in Utrecht, the
Netherlands.
NextGen will capitalise on these trends by bringing
together clinical research organisations, universities,
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and professional associations to integrate multiple sources of
data on individual people. This work is complex due
to data privacy and governance requirements, the
presence of multiple standards across Europe, varying
formats of data, and the sheer volume of information.
The NextGen project has received €7.6 million from
the EU’s Horizon Europe programme and will be delivered by a 21-member consortium, including the
European Society of Cardiology (ESC).1
The first step will be to map out the initiatives already
underway to ensure that the project is truly groundbreaking and meets an unmet need.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause
of death globally, accounting for nearly 18 million fatalities every year.2 In the EU, CVDs are responsible
for approximately one in three deaths.3 CVD comes
with a high price, and is estimated to cost the EU €282
billion annually, equivalent to 2% of Europe’s GDP.4
CVD also takes its toll on individuals, often leading to
disability, absence from work, premature retirement,
and absenteeism.
Consortium member Professor Panos Deloukas of
Queen Mary University of London, UK, said: “This is a
tremendous opportunity and a challenge we have in building
the right toolbox that will allow [us] to unite CVD patient data
across Europe and implement precision medicine to improve
cardiovascular healthcare.”
Project coordinator Professor Pim van der Harst of
University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands,
said: “No two people are exactly the same, and so it makes
sense that each person needs a slightly different strategy to optimise their health. Personalised medicine is therefore the way
forward for preventing heart disease, speeding up diagnosis,
and monitoring and treating people with CVD. To develop
individualised therapies, we need to compile as much information as possible about individuals. The unique picture we
generate will then form the basis for improving cardiovascular health and wellbeing.”
Personalised medicine, whereby prevention and treatment of disease is tailored to an individual’s unique
genetic make-up and health information, holds
promise for shifting the dial on the burden of CVD.
Now is the time to harness the potential of individualised treatment. Genetic information is more readily
available than ever before as the cost of laboratory
analysis continues to fall, and cutting edge AI techniques make it possible to combine vast amounts of
data in record time.
Mr Philip Coleridge Smith
DM MA BM FRCS
Medical Expert Witness - Vascular Surgeon - Medical Editor
Areas of expertise:
Limb ischaemia
Deep vein thrombosis
Pulmonary embolism
Post-thrombotic limbs
Surgical treatment of vein problems
Venous ulcers
Laser treatment and radio frequency ablation of vein problems
Peripheral vascular disease including diseases of arteries and veins
Ultrasound examination of the peripheral vascular system
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Types of report prepared:
Screening report - a preliminary assessment of the likelihood of successful litigation. (Non-CPR35 compliant).
Report addressing issues of Breach of Duty and Causation (CPR35 compliant)
Report addressing issues of Condition and Prognosis, usually following
clinical and duplex ultrasound imaging examinations of arteries and veins. (CPR35 compliant).
Consulting rooms:
The London Vein Institute, 4 Upper Wimpole Street, London W1G 6LF
The Bridge Clinic, Bridge Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 8DG
British Vein Institute, 24-28 The Broadway, Amersham, HP7 0HP
Waiting time for an appointment for examination: approx. 2 weeks.
Contact Details:
Tel: 0870 609 2389 Mobile: 07850 232525 Fax: 0872 111 7042
Email: p.coleridgesmith@adsumhealthcare.co.uk Alternate Email: secretary-pcs@adsum-healthcare.co.uk
Website: www.medical-expert-witness.co.uk
Address: British Vein Institute, 24-28 The Broadway, Amersham HP7 0HP
EXPERT WITNESS JOURNAL
37
APRIL 2024