Started the first day with a symposium on e-health, “Mobile Health and Technology; the future technological environment for prevention”. A presentation describing literature review of electronic lifestyle improvement programs for weight management and increased physical activity conveyed electronically or evaluated with the device-registrations. The documentation was both limited and showed moderate effects. Health-related apps, new e-programs and device needs to be validated, preferably by larger randomized studies.
Another presentation concerned rehabilitation and exercise for heart patients. A digital flow chart for mapping of patients with various cardiac diagnoses presented. The project is in the validation phase. European research partners demand before 2016. Interested? Contact dominique.hansen@uhasselt.be.
The presentation of the MANTRA-PAF study was important to me. We at the Department of Cardiology in Linköping was one of the participating centers. The study is a prospective,
randomized, multicentre study in which patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation were randomly assigned to antiarrhythmic drug therapy or ablation. Significantly fewer patients had AF during follow-up after 2 years and 5 years if randomized to ablation. In both groups there was significant improvement of health-related quality of life at 2-year follow-up, a result that persisted at 5-year follow up.
One session was of asymptomatic atrial fibrillation and stroke risk, new oral anticoagulants, nutrition and more / less healthy fat. After listening to the positive effects of eating a Mediterranean diet was the choice of evening restaurant easily – Jamie Oliver’s Italian, with a good extra virgin olive oil.
I had a poster which was about how we the at the Department of Cardiology in Linköping routinely evaluates patient-reported outcome measures in the form ASTA in ablation therapy. The presentation at the ESC was our patients with atrial fibrillation. Evaluation is Internet-based and is done before and after 1, 2 and 5 years after treatment. With the evaluation we can follow patients over time and get valuable feedback on patients’ estimates of treatment outcome.
When it was time to go back showed the pedometer on satisfactory (physical) activity during the Congress days. Found that the program has been somewhat limited for me as a nurse. Maybe it’s something I missed or it depends on the days I was at the Congress.
London, thank you for this time!
Ulla Walfridsson and Tiny Jaarsma