Watch our 2023 retrospective video
IHU ICAN wishes you all the best
In 2023, our teams remained 100% mobilized in the fight against cardiometabolic diseases, the 1st cause of death worldwide and a major cause of death in France.
Watch our video retrospective of the year’s highlights.
Thank you to our 53 employees, 168 physicians, 221 researchers, as well as to our founders, partners, patrons and donors for their precious support throughout the year.
In 2024, let’s continue to innovate together to accelerate progress against cardiometabolic diseases. Happy New Year!
IHU ICAN launches its barometer on cardiometabolic diseases with IFOP
Cardio-metabolic diseases: we’re all concerned!
To better inform and raise public awareness of one of the major causes of death in France, the IHU ICAN is launching its cardiometabolic barometer (IFOP / IHU ICAN study – September 2023), drawing on its extensive expertise in research and the fight against cardiometabolic diseases.
- What do the French know about cardiometabolism?
- How do they view these pathologies?
- Are they informed about causes and risk factors?
A veritable public health scourge, cardiometabolic diseases have been steadily on the rise in recent years. Today, they represent a major cause of death in France and the 1st cause of death worldwide (source: CépiDc/Inserm).
They include many diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease (hypertension, thrombosis, cardiomyopathy, stroke, heart failure), liver disease (including hepatic metabolic steatosis or fatty liver disease), and hypercholesterolemia.
How these chronic diseases work is still too little known to the general public, as cardiometabolism is an emerging discipline that requires a high level of expertise. cutting-edge scientific and medical research to understand these complex, interconnected pathologies, linked to an imbalance in the individual’s metabolism and/or to genetic factors. They are very common and often diagnosed too late, as they develop silently in the body.
Yet cardiometabolic diseases concern us all.
A few figures (in France):
- Cardiovascular diseases: 5.3 million sufferers, more than 140,000 deaths per year
- Diabetes: 4 million people treated, 35,000 diabetes-related deaths
- Obesity: 17% of adults are obese, 47% overweight
- Hepatic metabolic steatosis (NASH): 18% of the population affected, almost 24% in 2030 (IHU ICAN estimate)
Sources : ameli, Santé publique France
Cardiometabolic diseases, a scourge still too little known
The first lesson to be learned from this study, cardiometabolic diseases are poorly identified by the French: only 38% have heard of them and 10% see exactly what it’s all about. Young women and donors to medical research – two audiences traditionally more aware of health issues – are slightly more likely to declare that they know about pathologies (45% and 55%).
The 38% of French people who say they know about these diseases have only a partial knowledge of them. If they rightly identify heart failure (85%), hypertension (76%) and stroke (67%) as diseases of the cardiometabolic system, they are less than 1 in 2 know that obesity (49%), hypercholesterolemia (47%) and diabetes (37%) also belong to this family of diseases. Non-alcoholic hepatic steatosis (20%) and cirrhosis (12%) are even less closely related to this family.
As a corollary to this poor understanding of cardiometabolic diseases, their contribution to deaths in France is underestimated: 15% of French people declare it as the main cause of death in France, whereas it is one of the main causes after cancer, and the 1st cause of death worldwide.
Cardiometabolic diseases perceived as serious and on the rise
After explaining to respondents what cardiometabolic diseases are, 82% of them agreed that they are serious pathologies, 73% that they have increased over the last ten years, and 73% that they are widespread in the French population. On the other hand, the chronic nature of these pathologies seems to be largely unknown, with 57% of those surveyed explaining that they can now be cured.
It’s also worth noting that 1 in 2 French people believe that cardiometabolic diseases are primarily a matter of individual responsibility (50%), a result that goes hand in hand with the fact that they are perceived as being caused solely by lifestyle.
Well-identified preventive measures and risk factors
Another finding of the study is that cardiometabolic diseases are widely perceived by the French as being caused by lifestyle, with this cause being cited first (51%), far ahead of genetic predisposition (13%) or environmental factors such as pollution (6%).
As a corollary to this, the French believe that public authorities should above all fight against cardiometabolic diseases through campaigns to raise public awareness of lifestyle changes (36%). Conversely, only 15% mention scientific research and 12% the improvement of diagnostic tools, which are essential levers in the knowledge and fight against these diseases.
The French identify preventive health and diet measures fairly well: they believe that a balanced diet (94%), regular physical activity (93%), not smoking (92%) and not drinking too much alcohol (88%) are effective in preventing the onset of cardiometabolic diseases.
They also largely agree on the risk factors, citing being overweight (87%), being a smoker (86%), having a diet rich in fat, salt and sugar (85%) or a stressful lifestyle (82%).
More French people fear cardiovascular disease
The results of the study also show that judgments about the various cardiometabolic pathologies are ambivalent, probably because representations diverge according to the type of disease.
Cardiovascular diseases are now better identified as diseases of the cardiometabolic system, and give rise to a great deal of concern. This type of disease is by far the most worrying (50%), far ahead of hypertension (14%), diabetes (16%), obesity (11%), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (6%) or hypercholesterolemia (3%).
As a corollary to this, the French feel that these are the diseases that should receive priority attention from the public authorities (46%), ahead of obesity (26%), diabetes (15%), rare metabolic diseases (7%), hypercholesterolemia (3%) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (3%).
A lack of information about cardiometabolic diseases
Just over a third of French people say they have already been informed about cardiometabolic diseases (37%). In detail, slightly more people over 65 (42%), wealthier people (48%) and donors to medical research (50%) say they have been informed.
Doctors are the main source of information about these diseases (57%), ahead of family and friends (37%), the media (29%) and government communication campaigns.
Who we are?
Created in 2011, IHU ICAN is a scientific cooperation foundation whose main objective is to develop tomorrow’s medicine to combat cardiometabolic diseases. Located in the heart of Europe’s largest public hospital, At the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, the ICAN HCI draws on the expertise of its scientific community. (168 doctors, 261 researchers) and its 3 founders to carry out its missions: AP-HP (Assistance publique – Hôpitaux de Paris), Inserm (Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale) and Sorbonne University.
Any questions? Contact us:
- Francine TROCME
- Director of Communications and Patronage – IHU ICAN
- 06 81 64 97 88
- f.trocme@ihuican.org
Meeting of the IHU ICAN International Scientific Council: what are the major scientific orientations?
Meeting of the International Scientific Council of the IHU ICAN :
what are the major scientific orientations?
On September 25 and 26, 2023, IHU ICAN was pleased to welcome the members of its International Scientific Advisory Board to discuss the Foundation’s major scientific orientations in the fight against cardiometabolic diseases (obesity, diabetes, liver disease, heart and vessel disease, etc.).
The visit was punctuated by a cocktail in the heart of a unique place: the Saint-Louis de la Salpêtrière chapel, built in 1670 as part of the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital.
The IHU ICAN would like to thank all the participants for their commitment and the quality of the discussions, as well as the AP-HP for making this wonderful event possible!
Strategic priorities of IHU ICAN, a benchmark scientific foundation in cardiometabolism
Stéphane Hatem, Director of the ICAN IHU, spoke about the ICAN IHU’s strategic priorities in the fight against cardiometabolic diseases, the leading cause of chronic illness and death in France.
- How can we better understand and decipher the dialogue between organs, particularly between the heart and the liver?
- What is the link between environmental and genomic factors? Rare monogenic cardiometabolic diseases with polymorphisms
- How can new biomarkers be used to develop precision medicine for the benefit of patients?
- How can we meet the challenge of generating and structuring high-quality healthcare data to accelerate medical and scientific research?
“IHU ICAN must fulfill its role as a partner and lever for a broader scientific and medical community in the field of cardiometabolism. Our foundation (set up by AP-HP, Inserm and Sorbonne Université) offers a full range of services and cutting-edge expertise, positioning members of its community at the forefront of major academic and industrial projects.
The integration of healthcare data into research, new interfaces for metabolic diseases, and the discovery of new biomarkers, particularly imaging biomarkers, are all challenges that perfectly illustrate the 2025/2030 orientations and ambitions for developing precision medicine for cardiometabolic diseases”.
Major scientific and medical research projects presented
Researchers and physicians from the IHU community then presented the major research projects currently underway, which represent encouraging advances in our understanding of cardiometabolic diseases and in tomorrow’s medicine, in the service of patients.
This SAB meeting was also an opportunity to welcome high-level personalities who were able to provide an expert view of the ICAN IHU presentations and make valuable recommendations:
- Pr Catherine Boileau, pharmacist-biologist specializing in genetics, Director of several research units, member of the ICAN IHU Administrative Committee,
- Pr Michel Komajda, Member of the French Academy of Medicine, Former Director of the Pitié-Salpêtrière Heart Institute, Former President of the European Society of Cardiology and President of the Heart & Research Foundation,
- Philip Janiak, Director of biotech Corteria Pharmaceuticals, former R&D Director of Sanofi’s Cardiometabolic Department, and member of the ICAN HCI Administrative Committee.
The heart-liver interface: a promising area of research
- Liver, the metabolic hub for cardiometabolic diseases – Pr Vlad Ratziu
- New mediators released by diseased liver – Pascal Ferré
- Necroptosis and MLD – Jérémie Gautheron
Adipose tissue, a central interface for cardiometabolic diseases
- Adipose tissue and heart : EAT and AF – Pr Stéphane Hatem
- Lipodystrophy from patient cohort to adipose tissue biology – Pr Corinne Vigouroux
Microbiota and cardiometabolic diseases
- Metabolic dysbiosis associated with obesity and CMD and interventionalstrategies : FMT to improve T2D control – Pr Judith Aron-Wisnewsky
From rare mutations to risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases
- Twin technology and the prediction of CV risk – Dr Antonio Gallo
- From rare familial forms of cardiomyopathy to common heart failure – Pr Philippe Charron
- Imprinting disease – Pr Irène Netchine
Accelerating the transfer of research into patient care
- New care pathways – Dr Raluca Pais
- Making the best out of patient cohorts (structuring a cohort strategy as atool for research and partnerships) – Stéphane Commans
Emerging talent, young researchers
- The biology of fatty atria – Nadine Suffee
- Metabolic biomarker and heart transplantation – Khaoula Bouazizi-Verdier
Creating links between basic and clinical research, and accelerating the transfer of research to patient care
- Maestria Demonstrator : AI tools for research – Maharajah Ponnaiah
- What can we expect form the reprogramming of Ips to study cardiometabolicdisease – Eric Villard
- Tools to promote emerging Scientific approaches – Pr Stéphane Hatem
Patient application: new imaging biomarkers for cardiometabolic diseases
- Cardio metabolic and liver imaging in the general population – Pr Alban Redheuil
- Technical developments in Cardiovascular MRI – Nadjia Kachenoura
- The new frontiers of the echocardiography – Dr Laurie Soulat Dufour
Composition and role of the International Scientific Council
Our International Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) is a strategic governance body made up of external personalities highly recognized by the international scientific community in the field of cardiometabolism and nutrition.
Its role is to evaluate the scientific strategy of the IHU ICAN and to make recommendations on the scientific orientations and the scientific and medical teams working within the scope of the IHU ICAN.
Members of the IHU ICAN Scientific Committee:
- Pr André CARPENTIER, Director of the “Diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular complications” key research area, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Université de Sherbrooke, Canada
- Pr Michaël RODEN, Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, University Hospital of Düsseldorf, Germany
- Pr Karin SIPIDO, Chair of the SAB, Professor of Medicine and Head of Experimental Cardiology, University of Louvain, Belgium
- Pr Rozemarijn VLIEGENTHART, Radiologist and Professor of Cardiothoracic Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, Netherlands
- Pr Arnold VON ECKARDSTEIN, Professor of Clinical Biochemistry, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University Centre for Laboratory, Medicine and Pathology (UZL), Switzerland
A look back at the "AI and megadata in tomorrow's medical research and practice" conference.
A look back at the “AI and megadata” conference: launch of structuring work!
On Friday, February 10, 2023, the ICAN IHU, together with the Conseil d’Etat, the CNIL and the Alliance IHU France, organized a major symposium on the use of data and artificial intelligence (AI) in the healthcare sector.
Also available by videoconference, the symposium attracted over 600 remote participants and around 100 face-to-face attendees, including 10 media from the national general press and the specialized health and digital press, who came to attend the debates led by specialist speakers on the subject.
Watch the replay below!
Part 1 – Morning (9am-12:30pm)
Opening plenary, round tables 1 and 2
Part 2 – Afternoon (2pm-3.45pm)
Round table 3 and closing plenary
What is the aim of this symposium?
The day was opened by Didier-Roland Tabuteau (Vice-President of the Conseil d’État), Marie-Laure Denis (President of the CNIL) and Stéphane Hatem (Managing Director of IHU ICAN).
3 round tables addressed the issues of AI use in research and medical practice, the regulatory framework for healthcare data and the economic ecosystem for this data in France.
Renaud Vedel (Director of Cabinet for Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister Delegate for Digital Transition and Telecommunications) and Thierry Tuot (Deputy Chairman of the Interior Section of the Conseil d’État) concluded the discussions, which were rich in proposals.
The work initiated at this conference will continue within the Alliance IHU France to build a new model for the use of health data in research.
The objective for Alliance IHU France : create, in collaboration with the CNIL and with the support of the Conseil d’Etat and the government, a new experimental space for finding solutions to the various economic, social and medical issues raised by the manipulating artificial intelligence and exploiting data within the healthcare sector. All this is done in full transparency to the public, patients and the press.
Photos ©JB Eyguesier/Conseil d’Etat.
The press is talking about it!
- Next Inpact – Apprentissage fédéré et usage des mégadonnées : ce que l’IA peut pour la santé
- Data Scientest – Colloque du Conseil d’Etat : comment l’IA et le Big Data vont révolutionner la recherche et la pratique médicales ?
- Auguste Debouzy – Intelligence artificielle (« IA ») et mégadonnées dans le domaine de la recherche et de la pratique médicales : les éléments clés à retenir du colloque organisé par le Conseil d’Etat, la CNIL et l’Alliance IHU France
- Next Inpact – Au Conseil d’État, la quête d’un équilibre pour favoriser l’IA en santé
- Veille Cyber – Au Conseil d’État, la quête d’un équilibre pour favoriser l’IA en santé
- Tic Pharma – IA et données de santé: la Cnil veut approfondir “le travail de simplification des démarches”
- Tic Pharma – Les critiques de la Cnil sur le projet d’espace européen des données de santé
- Connected Doctors – IA et mégadonnées : recherche et pratique médicale de demain
- Presse Agence – IA et mégadonnées pour la santé
- Marine de la Clergerie – Quelles réglementations pour l’Intelligence Artificielle ?
- Acteurs publics – État territorial – Achat public – Intelligence artificielle
- Le Quotidien du médecin – Comment l’IA révolutionne déjà la médecine ?
Races for Heroes 2023: participate in an innovative project and save lives with the PEGASE project!
Races for Heroes 2023: participate in an innovative project and save lives with the PEGASE project!
Heart transplantation can save lives in the most severe cases of heart failure, where medical treatment is insufficient. Unfortunately, there are not enough donors compared to the number of recipients waiting for a heart transplant: there is 1 heart transplant for 2 recipients.
In this context, it is therefore essential to search for and evaluate all existing potential grafts that are currently unused but could save patients’ lives.
This is the objective of the PEGASE research project conducted by the IHU ICAN!
This project aims to transport hearts from eligible donors over a long distance and therefore for a long period of time, thanks to an innovative ex-vivo perfusion device that makes it possible to preserve the organ and maintain its proper functioning until the transplant.
Join us in the Race for Heroes 2023 to support heart transplantation and save lives!
On June 18, 2023, the IHU ICAN team will again participate in this solidarity race to raise funds for the PEGASE project.
Donate, collect or participate: find below the 3 ways to support us!
How is the PEGASE project going?
The PEGASE project is aimed at patients with irreversible end-stage heart failure for whom there is a medical indication for transplantation but who cannot be transplanted because of the restrictive graft allocation policy. These patients suffer from end-stage heart failure and are in a therapeutic impasse. Their vital prognosis is directly engaged for lack of transplantation.
The course of the project
- The heart is harvested from a donor eligible for cardiac harvesting, according to current recommendations and practices,
- The heart transplant is transferred to Paris on a regular commercial flight according to the usual procedures,
- Once it arrives at one of the airports in the Ile-de-France region, the graft is then transferred to the heart transplant center of the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital (Paris 13e) to be transplanted into the recipient.
As an expert center in cardiac transplantation, the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital Group will be able to help patients waiting for a transplant benefit from this study. The PEGASE project is led by Pr Pascal Leprince (Head of the Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery Department) and his assistant Pr Guillaume Lebreton (Cardiac Surgeon).
The Agence de la biomédecine (ABM) is involved in the project to ensure that the rules of health safety, ethics and equity are respected.
How important is the project to patients?
In a context of organ shortage, the PEGASE project is a solid opportunity to increase the number of usable heart transplants for patients waiting for a heart transplant.
It would allow the transplantation of about ten additional hearts each year, which are currently not harvested for lack of a suitable preservation solution.
In addition, the proof of concept will open up other opportunities related to prolonged organ preservation and complex transplantation.
How to support the PEGASE project?
If you feel strongly about this cause, there are several ways you can support the PEGASE team and the participants of the IHU ICAN Hero Run.
All members of the IHU ICAN community are welcome to join us in this solidarity race (physicians, patrons, donors, partners, former employees…).
Create your fundraising page to share with your network, whether you participate in the race or not.
Make a donation on the collection pages of the participants, who must collect 250€ each to take the start.
Commit your company to supporting this project by building a team or making a donation.
What will your donations be used for?
Your donations will support the 3-year pilot study, which aims to to provide this cardiac transplant to 7 patients with an indication for transplantationbut cannot currently be placed on the waiting lists because they do not meet the criteria for entry into the conventional system.
Thanks to the Run for Heroes 2023, our medical teams hope to raise the sum of 10 000€ to support the transplantation of one of these 7 patients.
Join the race to support heart transplantation!
Do you have a question about the PEGASE project or the Race for Heroes? Contact Francine Trocmé, Director of Sponsorship and Communication, f.trocme@ihuican.org.
Attend the symposium dedicated to AI and Big Data in medical research and practice (February 10, 2023)
Attend the symposium “AI and Big Data in Medical Research and Practice” (February 10, 2023)
On Friday, February 10, 2023, the Conseil d’État, the CNIL and the Alliance IHU France invite you to their symposium “AI and Big Data: how will they revolutionize medical research and practice in the future?”
Doctors, researchers, regulators, industrialists and politicians will debate during three round tables the ethical issues of the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data in research and medical practice and will discuss the prospects offered by these new tools.
The debates are accessible to all via the website, the YouTube channel and the Twitter account of the Council of State.
The context: how to achieve a balance between protecting individuals and supporting health research?
One area of the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data is an ongoing challenge to public and private players: healthcare. It is a matter of finding a balance between data protection and around what is most intimate and most precious to the individual, his health, and society’s legitimate need for innovative treatments and diagnostics to meet medical needs that are insufficiently or poorly covered.
The collection and exploitation of massive data are very powerful levers for health research today, but they also call into question the current regulatory and organizational frameworks for research in France. The unavoidable need for protection, the mission of experimentation and innovation of public research in the short and medium term, and societal benefits in the long term: this is the triptych within which regulators and legislators must find a balance.
The program of the AI and Big Data conference
9:00 am – Opening Plenary
- Didier-Roland Tabuteau – Vice-President of the Council of State
- Marie-Laure Denis – President of the CNIL
- Stéphane Hatem – Director General of the ICAN HCI
9:35 am – Presentation of the Council of State’s study on AI and public action
- Thierry Tuot – Deputy President of the Interior Section of the Council of State
10:00 – The use of AI in research and medical practice
Artificial intelligence has made it possible to develop connected objects, essential tools for e-health. Through the illustration of the practical case of connected watches allowing to alert in real time a patient on his cardiac state of health, we will question their use, the interpretation of their results and the way in which they come to question, not only the ethics, but also the doctor-patient relationship. At the heart of the problem is medical decision making and the responsibility of the physician.
- Moderator: Gérard Biau – Managing Director of SCAI
- Stéphanie Combes – Director of the Health Data Hub
- Dominique Le Guludec – President of the HAS
- Pierre Jaïs – Director General of the IHU Liryc
- Valérie Paradis – PUPH at AP-HP
11:15 – What regulatory framework for health data?
The usefulness of health data is no longer in question in the context of scientific health research protocols. Nevertheless, the question arises of the legal framework that must facilitate ambitious research projects without compromising the data protection framework. Their ownership, protection, anonymization, and regulatory harmonization raise essential regulatory issues whose implications have a direct impact on the quality of research. With the underlying question: How can we create legal data sanctuaries for reliable, quality research using health data?
- Moderator: Jean Lessi – Rapporteur to the Social Section of the Council of State
- Antonios Bouchagiar – Member of the Legal Service of the European Commission
- David Gruson – Founder of Ethik-IA
- Stéphane Hatem – Directeur général de l’ICAN HCI
- Valérie Peugeot – Commissioner responsible for health data at the CNIL
2:00 pm – What economic ecosystem for health data in France?
Once the regulatory framework is set, What ecosystem of bodies should ensure the preservation of the highly qualified data produced by the research centers? This richness, which is different from the data coming from the health care system (poured into the Health Data Hub), requires scientific competence, significant investments and a key element: trust. What is the profile of the regulator and/or sponsor of AI science research?
- Moderator: Louis Dutheillet de Lamothe – Secretary General of the CNIL
- Christian Deleuze – Deputy Chief Innovation Officer of Sanofi, President of Medicen Paris and President of the Healthcare Data Institute
- Yedidia Levy-Zauberman – Director of Public Affairs at Owkin
- Sébastien Massart – Director of Strategy at Dassault Systèmes
15h10 – Closing Plenary
- Jean-Noël Barrot – Minister Delegate for Digital Transition and Telecommunications
- Thierry Tuot – Président adjoint de la section de l’intérieur du Conseil d’État
How to participate in this AI and Big Data in healthcare conference?
The event is accessible free of charge online, without pre-registration. You just have to connect at 9am on Friday, February 10, 2023 via one of the following media:
For any question, you can contact us by e-mail at communication@ihuican.org. We wish you a great event!
Press contact Alliance IHU France: Francine Trocmé – f.trocme@ihuican.org – 01 88 40 64 05
In 2023, we continue our commitment! Discover our wishes on video
Happy New Year 2023!
In 2023, the entire community will continue its daily commitment to accelerate the progress of research and develop the medicine of tomorrow in cardiometabolism, in order to improve patient care.
We would like to thank all the people involved for the good realization of the scientific and medical projects of the IHU ICAN.
Thank you to our 53 employees, 168 physicians, 221 researchers, as well as to our founders, partners, patrons and donors for their precious support throughout the year.
World Heart Day 2022: How to better detect atrial cardiomyopathy to avoid atrial fibrillation?
World Heart Day 2022: How to better detect atrial cardiomyopathy to avoid atrial fibrillation?
On World Heart Day, Thursday, September 29, 2022, it is important to remember that the atrial fibrillation or atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common heart rhythm disorder. In France, it is estimated that it affects 750,000 people and that it is responsible for nearly 20% of ischemic strokes (obstruction of the cervical artery).
To fight against this cardiac disorder, the ICAN UHI is developing MAESTRIA, an innovative project that aims to better detect atrial cardiomyopathy, responsible for the occurrence of atrial fibrillation and vascular embolic accidents, thanks to a consortium of 18 international partners. Discover this ambitious project below!
Atrial fibrillation, a growing heart disease
Heart rhythm disorders often cause a sensation of abnormal heartbeat (palpitation, irregular heartbeat…), but they can also be asymptomatic and diagnosed during a heart examination. They represent the 1st cause of sudden death before 35 years.
A rapidly growing heart disease, atrial fibrillation is a heart rhythm disorder strongly linked to the aging population. Up to 8% of people over the age of 80 suffer from it, and 110,000 to 230,000 new cases appear each year. The increase in its incidence and prevalence results in an estimated cost of care of approximately 2.5 billion euros per year in France.
It is therefore essential today to better understand this pathology, a real economic and public health issue.
The MAESTRIA project, in response to this public health issue
Launched in September 2021 and coordinated by Sorbonne University, the MAESTRIA (Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence for Early Detection of Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation) research project has responded to the H2020 call for projects on digital diagnosis.
This international consortium brings together 18 partners from several European countries, the United States and Canada.
The objective of the project is to develop the 1rst digital platform for integrative diagnosis of atrial cardiomyopathy.
This tool will combine imaging data with physiological data (omics, clinical…) of patients, in order to obtain improved diagnostic accuracy through the identification of new therapeutic targets.
Its objective is to better prevent the complications of atrial cardiomyopathy (atrial fibrillation, strokes…) in order to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of treatments.
The project includes 3 strategic areas:
- Personalized diagnosis and innovative multidisciplinary care pathway, using genomic, metabolic and tissue inflammation research data,
- Risk stratification in AF patients with the use of artificial intelligence,
- Deployment of a digital diagnostic platform at the European level.
Who are the actors involved in this innovative project?
The 18 partners of the MAESTRIA consortium:
- Sorbonne Université (IHU ICAN)
- Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP)
- Oxford University
- Birmingham University
- AFNET
- Essen University
- Maastricht University
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
- CNIC
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- IMT Transfert
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Sherbrooke
- Siemens Healthcare
- Caristo Diagnostics Limited
- Owkin
- Idoven
- Preventicus
- YourRhythmics
Familial Hypercholesterolemia Awareness Week 2022
Awareness week 2022: where is the fight against familial hypercholesterolemia?
Familial hypercholesterolemia (HF) is one of the most common genetic diseases in the world and in France, and it can cause neuro-cardiovascular complications (cerebrovascular accidents, acute coronary syndromes, etc.) in young adults, even children.
On the occasion of the awareness week against HF from September 19 to 25, 2022, the IHU ICAN takes stock of this frequent hereditary disease.
Familial hypercholesterolemia: a genetic disease that is too often underdiagnosed
Unlike “classic” hypercholesterolemia, which develops with age or poor diet, familial hypercholesterolemia is the only pathology where the child is born with a very high cholesterol level.
Unfortunately, too often under-diagnosed, this disease is nevertheless a real public health issue:
- Scientists estimate that 225,000 to 270,000 people are affected in France,
- With only 10% of adults and 5% of children diagnosed.
“This disease is a real paradox since it is easy to detect and treatments exist! Today, human tragedies could be avoided by early detection of children and young adults. ”says Lionel Ribes, President of ANHET (National Association of Familial Hypercholesterolemia and Lipoproteins), interviewed by the IHU ICAN as part of this awareness week.
Familial hypercholesterolemia: what are the risks?
This disease is the most common cardiovascular risk factor among hereditary genetic conditions. “Cardiovascular risk is multiplied by 13 in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia,” explains Philippe Lesnik, Research Director at UMRS 1166 (IHU ICAN).
Among these sufferers, some are affected by the rare form of familial hypercholesterolemia (homozygous): without screening and without treatment, there is a risk of mortality before the age of 20.
To prevent the disease, it is very important to look for abnormally high cholesterol levels in members of the same family, compared to the values usually encountered for age in the general population.
“It is the non-sex chromosomes that carry the genes responsible for this hypercholesterolemia The child will therefore inheriting a dysfunctional copy from either its father or its mother. Overall, 50% of individuals in a family where one member is affected will inherit the disease.” explains Pr Alain Carrié, University Professor, Hospital Practitioner and Head of the Functional Unit for Genetics of Obesity and Dyslipidemia (Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital).
What care pathway for patients?
A simple blood test can identify abnormal cholesterol levels.
The IHU ICAN experts have therefore set up a care pathway to improve the management of patients with familial hypercholesterolemia.
- As soon as there are warning signals and a suspicion of genetic disease following a blood test, the patient is generally referred by his attending physician or other specialists.
- He will benefit from a specialized consultation where genetic screening can be considered in order to search for gene mutations and identify dysfunction in the metabolism of LDL-cholesterol (bad cholesterol).
- In the event of a positive genetic screening, the patient is included in a specialized care course dedicated to the management of his pathology: annual specialist consultations, day hospitalization for non-invasive screening of vascular damage, etc.
Several types of treatment exist depending on the patient’s situation.
“ a Early detection and long-term treatment are the 2 fundamental elements that can allowliving with HF without suffering the consequences.“ says Dr. Antonio Gallo, IHU ICAN, University Lecturer and Hospital Practitioner at the Lipidology and Cardiovascular Prevention Unit (Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital).
“We know how to detect and treat this pathology but, unlike other European countries such as the Netherlands or Slovenia, we have not put in place strong preventive measures!“ explains Lionel Ribes, President of the ANHET association.
Testimony of a patient from the Hemobiotherapy and LDL-apheresis unit (Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital)
“I have familial hypercholesterolemia which was detected very early. When I was a child I had drug treatments, then around the age of 16 I started machine treatment (LDL-apheresis). Basically, we are filtered from the blood of bad cholesterol. The treatment lasts 2 hours, every 15 days, and I tolerate it very well in terms of my health. No contraindications or side effects, just a little fatigue the same day, then the next morning, I start my life again normally.”
How to improve disease prevention?
“There is an urgent need to set up early and generalized screening for familial hypercholesterolemia in the French population in order to prevent young affected patients from developing neuro-cardiovascular complications. (…) The goal is not to scare but to raise awareness that familial hypercholesterolemia is a real public health issue. » (Lionel Ribes)
Untreated or poorly treated familial hypercholesterolemia risks leading the patient to progressive atherosclerosis which can manifest itself in serious neuro-cardiovascular complications, or in early death.
The IHU ICAN teams work daily to fight against cardiometabolic diseases, the leading cause of chronic diseases and death in France and around the world. Your donations are precious for advancing medical research and improving the care pathway for patients.
“My dearest wish is that we can screen as many subjects as possible, as young as possible and as soon as possible, so that they can benefit from appropriate care so that their increased vascular risk is as close as possible to the general population.” (Pr Alain Carrié)
Who is ANHET? Since the creation of the association in 2013, theANHET represents the patients withfamilial hypercholesterolemia. With a scientific council (whose members are recognized for their expertise), itit communicates with the medical world, the general public, health authorities and the political world to inform of the seriousness of the repercussions on health. The association warns also the health and political authorities to obtain commitments for screening and treatment procedures.
Heroes' Run 2022 : our commitment to fighting heart failure
Heroes’ Run 2022 : our commitment to fighting heart failure
On June 19, the IHU ICAN participated in the “Heroes’ Run ” 2022 (“Course des Héros” in French), an associative and sporting event that allows people to collect donations to support the cause of their choice: disability, education, rare diseases, precariousness etc.
Our teams have chosen to support the fight against cardiovascular disease, the 1rst cause of death in the world after cancer.
IHU ICAN would like to warmly thank the generous donors who made it possible to collect a total of €5,865in donationsduring this event!
Our collectors thank you!
Thanks to your support, our 12 collectors from the IHU ICAN got together on Sunday, June 19 to take the start of the Heroes’ Run and spread the word about our cause during this festive and friendly event at the Domaine National de Saint-Cloud (92).
Over a distance of 6km or 10km, walking or running, the event allows everyone to commit to a cause that is important to them, regardless of their level of sport.
What is the UTHop’AI / RobEduc project?
The announcement of a heart failure diagnosis is an upheaval for patients. During his hospitalization, the patient will meet with multiple stakeholders to explain the new lifestyle habits to be applied upon his return home, but the dedicated time is often short and the repetition of key messages is important.
This project aims to raise awareness of therapeutic education for patients hospitalized for heart failure via a humanoid robot and artificial intelligence. This robot will complement the current inpatient care, in order to explain these new habits to patients.
Initiated at the request of the nursing staff, the project is led by Prof. Richard Isnard, Dr. Françoise Pousse and Dr. Lise Legrand of the cardiology department of the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital (Paris 13th).
What will the collected donations be used for?
All the donations collected will help improve the care of heart failure patients by directly supporting the UTHop’IA / RobEduc project.
These donations will now be allocated to the engineering phase for the development of the robot’s mobility: electronic components, autonomous movement of the robot in the hospital (visits to patients’ rooms, opening of doors, etc.).
The next step will be the interaction of the robot with the patients.
Your donations are essential to support medical research on cardiometabolic diseases (obesity, diabetes, vascular and heart disease, etc.) alongside the IHU ICAN.
