Dr David Adlam, who is leading the UK SCAD research project attended the Second International FMD Research Network and SCAD Symposium held in Cleveland, USA on 18 and 19 May.
Some SCAD patients are also diagnosed with Fibromuscular Dysplasia (FMD), a rare connective tissue disorder, and the meeting brought together leading FMD and SCAD researchers, clinicians and patients to review current knowledge and research in the USA, Canada and Europe.
Dr Adlam said: “The meeting was attended by many of our key US and global SCAD partners: Dr Sharonne Hayes and Dr Marysia Tweet from the Mayo Clinic, Professor Jacqueline Saw from Vancouver, Professor Robert Graham from Australia, Dr Malissa Wood from Massachusetts General and Dr Esther Kim from Vanderbilt. Patient representatives included Katherine Leon from SCAD Alliance.
“Some of our friends from the European FMD world, including Professor Alexandre Persu and Dr Nabila Bouatia-Naji, were also there, as well as the leaders in the field from the US.”
The SCAD sessions included a presentation from Dr Adlam: “I spoke about the UK and European SCAD research and education programme, which was well received. It was an excellent meeting.”
He added: “There was some very interesting work presented by the FMD research groups of potentially direct application to SCAD and some important collaborative discussions.”
“We had a fantastic working group on exercise in SCAD survivors, with the main take-home messages being to encourage cardiac rehabilitation and avoid excessive restrictions perhaps retaining an advisory against ‘extremes’ of exercise.”
The symposium also included presentations in which patients talked about SCAD and FMD from their perspectives.
We look forward to hearing more over the coming months.
