Partnership with the Belgian Cardiological League!
Screening for cardiometabolic risk factors
The numbers speak for themselves: cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death in Belgium as well as in other industrialised countries. In Belgium, cardiovascular deaths are responsible for 45% of all deaths, representing almost one in two Belgians! Yet it remains important to realise that scientific research has shown that ‘prevention’ can reduce deaths due to cardiovascular disease. The figures recently published by the FPS Economy prove this. In 1998, 37,591 people died of cardiovascular diseases, but thirteen years later, in 2011, this number was 31,000. While we are not unhappy with this finding, the figures remain high, and cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death. In any case, it is a positive message that proves that our efforts have not been in vain. Thus, we will be carrying on and will continue to reinforce our message.
The Belgian Cardiological League has been working for more than forty-five years to prevent cardiovascular disease, at the level of primary prevention (for the general public and all persons who may have to deal with these disorders) as well as secondary prevention (among patients affected by a cardiovascular disease).
In addition to this essential prevention task, the Belgian Cardiological League also distributes information on prevention issues as well as cardiovascular disease in general such as the detection and “screening” of these disorders.
Cardiometabolic risk factors: what do we mean by this?
Some behaviours in our daily lives, but also certain anomalies in our state of health, increase the likelihood that sooner or later we will be faced with cardiovascular problems. These behaviours and anomalies, together with certain individual specifics, are grouped under the heading “cardiometabolic risk factors”.
Cardiometabolic risk factors: The situation cries out for action:
In Belgium, among those 15 and older there are approximately:
- 1,200,000 whose blood pressure exceeds 140/90 mmHg, and probably as many again who are in the same situation but do not realise it,
- 250,000 with type 2 diabetes, and probably as many again whose diabetes is undetected,
- < 5 million who are overweight or downright obese,
- 2.8 million who smoke daily,
- 4 to 5.4 million who engage in insufficient exercise.
The consequence of this not very encouraging situation is that cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, despite the undeniable medical advances, continue to be the main cause of death in Belgium, responsible for more than one third of all deaths each year. In 10% of these cases people die before the age of 65. Detecting risk factors and systematically correcting for them are clearly an absolute necessity.
EuroMedix aims to provide an answer to this distressing situation with its cardiometabolic screening projects.
EuroMedix makes available comprehensive POC (Point-Of-Care) products and technologies to determine the status of the cardiometabolic system and draw up an individual risk profile. EuroMedix specialises in these services and thus makes decentralised POC tests possible. The results are available within 5 to 10 minutes, without a waiting period, which makes them very well suited to health campaigns.
For example, basic cardiometabolic screening (5 x B):
Basic cardiometabolic screening comprises the following measurements:
- Blood sugar (glucose)
- BMI (body mass index)
- Belly circumference
- Blood pressure
- Blood fat (lipid content measurement: total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides)
In addition to the usual screening for cardiometabolic risks, EuroMedix also offers the unique CHARM concept: Cardiometabolic Health & Advanced Risk Management (CHARM):
This more extensive cardiometabolic screening by EuroMedix additionally offers detailed measurements with the aim of obtaining a more comprehensive risk classification of the screened population.
The following screenings are part of this enhanced version and result in a thorough cardiovascular screening:
- Measurement of blood vessel strength
- HbA1c measurement
- AGE measurement
- BIA: Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, an analysis of the body’s composition
- Measurement of oxidative stress and free radicals
