International Conference on
Vascular Biology

Cardiology is a medical domain and an outlet of internal medicine associated with heart disorders. It deals with the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures of conditions such as congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure and valvular heart disease. Other interests in the field of cardiology include cardiac electrophysiology, echocardiography, interventional cardiology and nuclear cardiology.

Vascular Biology is a study of the circulatory system that involves the heart and blood vessels. The vascular system is an important part of the body with a huge network of small and large blood vessels, accommodating varying levels of blood flow and pressure throughout the body. The major function of a vascular system is to transport blood, Oxygen, Carbon-dioxide and nutrients. It also helps in immune response and healing. There are different forms of vascular specialities based on diagnosis and therapeutic procedures.

Cardiology is a broad area in the medical world which deals with the heart. Since heart is a vital organ of our body, there are different forms of cardiac specialities. These are studied grounded on diagnostic and therapeutic procedures with the only reason being maintaining a healthy heart.

Congenital Heart Defects are very common and occurs in about 3-5% of infant births. This defect is considered to be the leading cause of infant mortality. Various factors like genetic and environmental factors affect the development of such anomalies like maternal illness, chromosomal abnormalities, etc. In certain cases, the cause or the factors are not determined. Few Congenital heart defects include:

• Adult congenital heart defects
• Aortic/Pulmonary valvar stenosis
• Atrial/Ventricular septal defect
• Ebstein anomaly

Vascular diseases might be the leading cause of premature deaths and morbidity in the modern era. These diseases are abnormalities of blood vessels and can be present anywhere. These are manifested acutely when emboli, thrombi or trauma compromises perfusion. Vascular diseases may lead to ischemia and other fatal problems. Atherosclerosis is one of the most common vascular disease that people are affected with. One of the main triggers of atherosclerosis is Hypercholesterolaemia.

The causes of vascular diseases are sometimes unknown. However, major causes include:

• Genetics
• Heart Disease
• Infection
• Injury
• Medicines

The symptoms for each disease are different. The diseases can however be prevented by developing healthy lifestyle changes.

Cardio-Vascular diseases are conditions which involves narrowed or blocked blood vessels which can lead to many forms of heart diseases. The symptoms of these diseases depend upon the type of heart disease and it may differ for men and women. The factors involved in developing heart diseases generally include:

• Age
• Sex
• Family history
• Smoking
• Certain chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy
• Poor diet
• High BP and Cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Physical Inactivity
• Stress
• Poor Hygiene

Certain heart defects can’t be prevented but some other types can be prevented by making changes in lifestyle.

Diagnosing vascular and cardiac diseases are a bit difficult, since there are a variety of symptoms that a person may have. However, physical examination, non-invasive testings using ultrasound (Doppler ultrasound), minimally invasive angiogram, cardio-vascular imaging, CT Coronary angiogram, Cardiac MRI, etc are used to diagnose these diseases. 

The treatment for such diseases varies with the type of disease. Treatments vary depending on the conditions, where the treatment may include non-surgical or surgical procedures. Certain environmental factors may also help in the treat of these diseases.

According to research and studies, 1 in every 10 child born, has a vascular anomaly. These are often considered as birthmarks and are present either at birth or occurs in the first month of life. These vascular anomalies are composed of blood vessels, lymphatic vessels or capillaries that have been developed abnormally. Vascular anomalies include:

• Hemangioma
• Vascular malformations
• Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome
• Kasabach-Merritt syndrome/phenomenon
• Tufted angioma
• Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma
• PHACE syndrome
• Multifocal Lymphangioendotheliomatosis with Thrombocytopenia
• Other rare diseases/ disorders/ conditions

12% of babies are affected by hemangioma in the first year of life where females are more affected than males.

Endovascular intervention is an innovative and minimally invasive procedure that are done to treat vascular diseases where the surgery involves making a small incision near the hip to access blood vessels. These types of surgeries are advantageous to many groups of people and the surgery generally takes 2 to 4 hours to complete.

Clinical trials are research investigations where people test new treatments, tests or interventions to prevent, detect, treat or manage medical conditions. There are 2 main types of clinical trials:

• Interventional
• Observational

Advances in molecular biology has increased the knowledge about genes and its control over physiological functions. Vascular reactivity is controlled by a large number of genes. Variable gene expressions are been seen in many vascular anomalies like hemangioma, lymphedema, etc. Research shows that multiple genes have been identified causing inherited forms of vascular anomalies including capillary malformations, venous malformations and lymphedema.

Genome transcriptomic analysis is being emerged as most powerful tools in translational research. The genome transcriptional profiling has become a standard approach in investigating biological processes.

Imaging is a branch of Radiology. It is the first step to diagnosis. Cardiac & Vascular imaging helps the physicians to diagnose and assess different consitions of heart and vascular diseases using various imaging technology. Generally these techniques are non invasive or minimally invasive and are used osten as they offer fewer risks and shorter recovery.

Pharma Industry is a type of industry where the drugs are discovered, developed, produced and marketed. With development of new technologies, the pharma industry has took a great leap. Many vascular contributions are being tested for its effectiveness by clinical trials.

Alternative Medicines are used to achieve effective therapy. However, few alternative medicines are proved to be ineffective. Randomized controlled trials has suggested to improve health and reduce symptoms by making certain life style changes.

In the recent times, a mass of digital health technologies along with traditional defensive tools assist in countering various heart-disorders. With the rapid growth of the medical world, it is likely that there will be an on-going emphasis in chasing technical skills and clinical brilliance in the field of Cardiology. In the future, several specialised sensors, artificial intelligence might shape and strengthen the world of Cardiology.

Various research advances have donated to expand the results across all areas of Cardiology and Vascular Biology such as the new European guidelines on revascularization, new developments in the treatment of cardiogenic shock, novel stent technology and many more. Simultaneously, it is observed that there is a swift upsurge in the populations of patients with heart disorders. Due to this, the expectations of patients for new advancements also develop. Therefore, future Cardiology and Vascular world may show a novel approach to cardio-vascular therapy.