Justice Chowdhury ATM Masud, President of NHFB, National Professor Brig (Rtd) Abdul Malik, Secretary General of NHFB, Prof R K Khandaker, Vice President of NHFB, eminent cardiologists from home and abroad were present in the inaugural session.

Cardiovascular diseases are prevalent throughout the world and emerging a serious health problem in developing countries like ours. If effective preventive and control measures are not taken in time, the disease will assume an epidemic form within few next years.

In a latest survey, in Bangladesh, it was observed that 15-20 percent of adult population had got hypertension, 10 percent had coronary / ischemic heart diseases, 1.3 per thousand had got rheumatic heart diseases and 8 per thousand new born had got congenital heart diseases.

In a conversation, National Professor Brig (Rtd) Abdul Malik, who is also the President of NHFB expressed, "The existing facilities to prevent and control of cardiovascular diseases available in the country from the government and non-governmental organisations are not enough to meet the increasing demand of 140 million people." As the investigations and treatment procedures of cardiovascular diseases are costly, we should pay due importance on prevention. "More facilities should be created for modern investigation and treatment outside Dhaka at district and divisional headquarters level", he added.

Specialist cardiologists from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the USA attended to present scientific papers in the congress. They presented papers about the latest updates on arrythmia (variation in the rhythm of the heartbeat), coronary interventions, cardiothoracic surgery and anaesthesia, hypertension, epidemiology and prevention and video demonstration of cath-lab procedures in the two-day long international congress. They revealed many emerging techniques in the management of cardiovascular diseases to improve the life standard of the patients that could even prevent sudden death.

Dr Teo Wee Siong of Mount Elizabeth Hospital and National Heart Centre of Singapore described an emerging and innovative technique - Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT).

He explains that heart failure results in severe symptoms and poor quality of life, often associated with a high risk for sudden cardiac death. Medical treatments have shown significant improvement in survival but a significant proportion of these patients remain symptomatic and is still at risk for sudden death. The implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) improves survival in patients.

A significant proportion of patients with heart failure have impaired atrioventricular synchrony resulting in further impairment of cardiac output. Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) with bi-ventricular pacing improves potential cardiac performance.

This can allow heart to recover resulting in reverse remodeling of the heart and improvement in heart function. The CRT+ICD is the most effective in improving symptoms and preventing sudden death.

Speakers in the congress discussed such latest advancements and challenges for the management of cardiac problems in developing countries.