Cardiovascular diseases
What do we do in the field of cardiovascular diseases?
BMS is leading in the development of groundbreaking therapies for the treatment of patients with cardiovascular diseases.
Cardiovascular diseases include all diseases that affect the cardiovascular system and the blood and lymphatic vessels, such as myocardial infarction, stroke and venous thromboembolism.
In the Netherlands, there are about 1.7 million people with a cardiovascular diseases.*
- 372,000 people live with the consequences of a cerebral hemorrhage or cerebral infarction.
- Every day, about 95 people are hospitalized with a heart attack.
Early detection of these diseases, treatment of risk factors and prevention are important to limit the impact of cardiovascular diseases. Current research at Bristol Myers Squibb is therefore focused on the development of therapies for stroke prevention and the treatment of venous thromboembolism. Stroke prevention focuses on atrial fibrillation, one of the major stroke risk factors.
HCM is the most common hereditary heart disease and occurs in about 1 in 500 people. The diagnosis also affects the lives of immediate family members, as on average 90% of people with HCM have one or more family members with a mild or early form of HCM, sometimes without those family members having symptoms of the disease.
Usually, people with HCM do not develop symptoms until adulthood. Sometimes this occurs earlier. The symptoms vary greatly in severity from person to person. Even within a family, where several family members have HCM, the symptoms can be very different.
One of the most common causes of stroke is AF. In the Netherlands, about 400,000 AF patients are treated with anticoagulation every year to reduce the risk of stroke. The actual number of patients with AF is probably much higher, about 500,000 patients. This is because many patients have not yet been diagnosed. A large number of patients have no symptoms, do not visit their GP for it or are only diagnosed after a first stroke or TIA.
Important organizations
Harteraad
The organization helps people with cardiovascular diseases and their loved ones with practical, social and emotional support. Harteraad represents the interests of 1.5 million people with cardiovascular diseases.
Cardiomyopathy Research Netherlands
Cardiomyopathy Research Netherlands is a national foundation for patients with cardiomyopathy, their loved ones and healthcare professionals. Patients and physician-researchers are working together to find an answer and solution for the congenital and genetic heart muscle disorder cardiomyopathy.
On February 22nd, our hearts go out to Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM)
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is a common genetic disorder that affects the heart muscle.
- The disease affects people all over the world - regardless of gender, age or ethnicity.
- HCM is often hereditary or caused by a genetic mutation.
- 1 in 330 people is affected by a cardiomyopathy.
- It therefore represents a major burden for patients, families, the healthcare system and society.
- HCM receives little policy attention, and practitioners are generally not familiar with the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Therefore, awareness of HCM is essential/of vital importance.