National Cardiometabolic Disease Week
Cardiometabolic diseases: we’re all concerned!
Diabetes, obesity, dyslipidemia, fatty liver disease (FLD) and high blood pressure are all chronic metabolic disorders. Associated with cardiovascular pathologies, they are known as cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs), and they concern us all!
A real public health issue, affecting millions of people in France, cardiometabolic diseases are the1st modifiable and avoidable cause of cardiovascular disease,the 1st cause of death in women andthe 2nd cause of death in the general population in France. According to the latest estimates from Santé publique France, 200,000 deaths a year are linked to cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Faced with this alarming fact and the general public’s lack of knowledge about these diseases (revealed by the IHU ICAN* barometer), ICAN has set up a national awareness campaign, the first edition of which was held in April 2024.
The aim of this awareness-raising week is to put the spotlight on cardiometabolic diseases, as these chronic conditions disrupt the quality of life of many people and lead to very serious, even fatal, pathologies. There is an urgent need for action to better prevent them, but also to give researchers the means to make progress in this field.
“Our aim is to raise awareness and bring about lasting changes in behavior and earlier detection of cardiometabolic diseases, so that those affected can be given early, personalized care. We also need to give more resources to research to accelerate innovation in cardiometabolism,” explains Stéphane Hatem, Managing Director of IHU ICAN.
The 2025 program for National Heart and Stroke Week
In 2025, National Heart and Stroke Week returns with a new program!
This new edition offers a diversified program to reach as many people as possible. Extended over the first three weeks of April, with a highlight from April 7 to 13, 2025, National Cardiometabolic Disease Week mobilizes healthcare professionals, patient associations and the general public around actions to raise awareness and prevent cardiometabolic diseases.
Partners of National Heart and Stroke Week 2025
A multi-channel prevention campaign with an online awareness test
Throughout the campaign, IHU ICAN will be broadcasting awareness-raising messages to inform the public about this public health issue. Prevention-related information will be broadcast on radio and social networks (from March 31 to April 20).
New for 2025: IHU ICAN offers a free, 100% online cardiometabolic risk assessment test.
A connected step challenge
To round off its communications drive to combat cardiometabolic diseases, IHU ICAN is organizing “ICAN GO”, a connected step challenge designed to encourage regular physical activity and raise awareness of its benefits for cardiometabolic health. The challenge, which is open to all, will bring together patient associations, sponsors, doctors and researchers, in a fun and supportive atmosphere, to encourage everyone to incorporate more physical activity into their daily lives.
New: our online expert conferences (webinars)
Obesity: diseases, management and metabolic risks
April 8: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
MASH: multidisciplinary care is essential
April 8: 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Physical activity: a new pillar in the management of heart disease
April 8: 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Homozygous and heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia
April 18: 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular complications
April 18: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
What is cardiometabolism?
Diabetes, obesity, fatty liver disease (FLD) and familial hypercholesterolemia are chronic conditions. When associated with heart disease, they are known as cardiometabolic diseases.
Cardiometabolic diseases are diseases of a lifetime. They are chronic diseases, which patients must learn to manage in order to avoid acute episodes that lead to hospitalization and worsening of the disease.
Comprehensive management of cardiometabolic diseases is therefore absolutely essential.
Diabetes
Since 1980, the number of cases has quadrupled worldwide. 1 in 20 people worldwide is diabetic. It is the 9th leading cause of death worldwide (1.5 million deaths per year), and the number of deaths due to diabetes has risen by 70% since 2000. In France, nearly 4 million people are taking treatment for diabetes. Diabetes is a disease with numerous complications: blindness, kidney failure, lower-limb amputations, heart failure…
Obesity
The result of an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure, obesity corresponds to an excess of body fat, with harmful consequences for health. Worldwide, the number of obese people has tripled since 1975: 13% of adults are obese and 39% are overweight. In France, obesity affects 17% of adults. This pathology is also increasingly affecting children and adolescents. Among under-18s, it affects 16% of boys and 18% of girls.
Familial hypercholesterolemia
One of the most common genetic diseases worldwide, it can cause neuro-cardiovascular complications (stroke, acute coronary syndromes, etc.) in young adults and even children. Unfortunately too often under-diagnosed, this disease is a real public health issue: 225,000 to 270,000 people are thought to be affected in France, with only 10% of adults and 5% of children diagnosed.
Fatty liver disease (MASH)
Also known as “fatty liver disease”, metabolic steatohepatitis or “MASH” is a chronic disease caused by the accumulation of fat in the liver (steatosis), associated with metabolic risk factors (obesity, type 2 diabetes…), but not linked to excessive alcohol consumption. MASH (formerly known as NASH) is a disease in constant evolution worldwide. The number of people suffering from metabolic steatosis is rising sharply, and will continue to do so in the years to come, notably due to the resurgence of type 2 diabetes and obesity worldwide: 18% of the adult population in France is affected (25% worldwide, 32% in the United States).
Heart and vessel diseases
Cardiovascular disease is one of the main causes of death in Europe, and the 1st cause of death worldwide before the age of 65. They are responsible for cardiac arrhythmias, high blood pressure, myocardial infarction, heart failure and stroke . The most widespread pathology isatherosclerosis, a phenomenon of accelerated aging and stiffening of the arteries, which can become blocked by atheromatous plaques, thus becoming the 1st cause of myocardial infarction. This disease is favoured by metabolic diseases, a diet rich in animal fats, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking and heredity.
What to do about cardiometabolic diseases?
1. Evaluate your cardiometabolic risk free of charge in just a few clicks
In 2025, IHU ICAN is offering a free, 100% online cardiometabolic risk assessment tool, combining 2 medically recognized tools: the FINDRISC score and the Score2.
The sole purpose of this predictive tool is to provide general information on cardiometabolic risk over the next 10 years, based on the data entered , in order to gain a better understanding of your state of health and the measures you may need to take to preserve it.
2. Get informed: IHU ICAN experts talk about cardiometabolic diseases
Listen now to our podcast “Au cœur de la santé: le flash info des maladies cardiométaboliques”, available on SoundCloud, Spotify, Deezer and YouTube.
Contents: 10 information columns illustrated by interviews with doctors and researchers on cardiometabolic diseases and advances in research.
Enjoy!
Topics covered by our experts:
- Nutrition and cardiometabolic diseases
- How can research help reduce cardiometabolic diseases?
- How are technological advances revolutionizing research?
- Physical activity, an effective treatment for cardiometabolic diseases
- What is fatty liver disease (FLD)?
- The innovative care pathway for patients with fatty liver disease (FHL).
- Health data for research.
- The importance of donations in accelerating innovation.
- IHU ICAN: a research center of excellence in cardiometabolic diseases.
3. Communicate
Faced with this major public health challenge, it is essential to inform and raise awareness among as many people as possible about the risk factors for developing cardiometabolic disease.
If you’d like to join us in spreading this message, download our communication tools to help you get the message across.
4. Supporting research
In addition to hygienic and dietary risk factors, other factors must also be taken into account, such as genetic predisposition. In this case, only medical and scientific research can provide the answers. It is therefore essential to give researchers the means to carry out innovative research programs.
This is the mission of the 230 researchers and 170 doctors at IHU ICAN. Thanks to their commitment, it will be possible to change the lives of millions of people.
The support of sponsors and donors is essential to accelerate this fight. Let’s give researchers the means to accelerate innovation in cardiometabolic diseases. Make a donation to the IHU ICAN to support the excellence of French research into cardiometabolic diseases.
