Belarus plans to perform two heart-lung transplant operations annually

May 19, Vitebsk / Sergey Kochetov - BELTA /. Belarus has adopted its first state program "Cardiology" for 2011-2015. This was announced today by NAS of Belarus academician, Director of the National Research Center "Cardiology" Alexander Mrochek at the international scientific and practical conference "Arterial Hypertension and Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases" in Vitebsk, BELTA correspondent reports. This emphasizes the importance and relevance of this area of medical care, as well as the need for interdepartmental cooperation to address the problems of reducing mortality from circulatory system diseases. The main goals of the state program are to reduce the incidence, disability, and mortality of the population from circulatory system diseases, as well as to improve the quality and accessibility of medical care for patients with cardiovascular diseases. The implementation of the planned measures will allow by 2015 to achieve a reduction, in particular, in the incidence of ischemic heart disease by 10%, the incidence of acute circulatory disorders in people of working age also by 10%, and a reduction in lethality and mortality from cardiovascular pathologies. By 2015, Belarus plans to perform 15 heart transplantations and two heart-lung complex transplantations annually. At the same time, in 2010, 22 heart transplantations were performed at the National Research Center "Cardiology", and 13 such interventions have already been performed in the first 4 months of the current year. In addition, by 2015, it is planned to perform up to 700 cardiac surgery interventions annually in the regions. One of the main tasks of the program is declared to be the creation of a state prevention system, in the solution of which all ministries and departments are expected to be involved. The fight against cardiovascular diseases concerns risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, excess body weight, the characteristics and quality of food products, i.e., in areas where medicine can only play a guiding role. In this regard, fostering the population's interest in their own health plays a very important role. "It is necessary to motivate people to lead a healthy lifestyle from childhood: if children see healthy parents, a healthy environment, and have the opportunity to engage in physical culture and sports, then risk factors such as smoking will lose their relevance for them," Alexander Mrochek is confident. In addition, the main pathology that significantly affects the mortality rate from circulatory system diseases is arterial hypertension, which affects about 35% of the Belarusian population. "Today, we know how to treat arterial hypertension, but the task is to convey this to the population, motivate patients with arterial hypertension to undergo treatment, and foster in them the desire to live a full life," added Alexander Mrochek. -0-