ONDA CERO CATALONIA PROGRAM FOR HEALTH, HEALTH EDUCATION AND QUALITY OF LIFE
The entire program is in good hands, with Carles Aguilar. Hospital de Sant Pau has launched the first multidisciplinary Unit for Functional Pleural Pathology (UPP) specializing in the treatment of patients suffering from this pathology, which affects more than one and a half million people every year in Spain and is caused by excess fluid that accumulates in the space surrounding the lungs. . Its goal is to provide comprehensive and excellent care to these patients by improving the circles of care, diagnosis and treatment. This new unit consists of specialists from various departments involved in dealing with this disease: pulmonology, thoracic surgery, anesthesia, radiodiagnosis, histopathology, and nursing teams in different fields. Pleurisy diseases, in particular, pleural effusion (PV), are a frequent clinical problem that affects more than one and a half million people in Spain every year and can be caused by a wide range of diseases: heart failure, cirrhosis, bacterial pneumonia and cancer – in 75% of cases – viral infections, pulmonary embolisms, etc. Making an early and accurate diagnosis is essential, because patients' treatment and prognosis depend on it. For this reason, experts recommend treating this disease from multidisciplinary pleural pathology units. Carles Aguilar interviews Dr. Vicky Pajares, Pulmonologist and Coordinator of the Interventional Pulmonology Unit at Sant Pau Hospital.
Presbyopia or tired eyesight is a refractive defect resulting from the loss of flexibility of the lens, which is the natural lens of the eye that allows objects to be focused at different distances, which is known as accommodation. Over the years, the lens gradually loses its natural elasticity and becomes more rigid, and therefore less flexible. The gradual loss of adaptive capacity generally manifests itself starting at the age of 40 and progresses over time. The doctor explains it to us. Rafael Guaita, specialist in preventive medicine and public health.
Within the framework of World Minority Disease Day, the “Identity Diagnosis” initiative was launched to give a voice to patients suffering from minority diseases and make them participate in the treatment of their diseases. 3 million people live with a rare disease in Spain. Those who suffer from it experience great emotional trauma. They often feel defined by their pathology, rather than who they really are. Diagnostics claim their unique identities, as well as their voices, and the need to more effectively address their unmet needs: shortening the time to diagnosis, promoting education and awareness about these diseases, increasing research and facilitating equitable access to treatments. Talk to Dr. Ignacio Blanco, Head of the Department of Genetics at Hospital German Trias y Pujol de Badalona.
Regenerative medicine involves a series of treatments that seek to regenerate tissues and organs. Regenerative medicine is a broad field that includes research into self-healing, meaning that the body uses its own systems, sometimes with the help of biological materials, to regenerate cells and rebuild tissues and organs. Unlike many conventional treatments, some of which are expensive, have side effects, and which target not the causes but the symptoms, cell therapy has had very positive responses, especially for the treatment of osteoporosis. Talk to Dr. Humberto Lucertales, Director of Medicentre.
Extra virgin olive oil, an ally against heart disease. Eating olive oil daily helps protect cardiovascular health thanks to its fatty acid composition and antioxidant components, which protect us from atherosclerosis and lower harmful cholesterol levels (LDL). There are several health properties that have long been associated with the benefits of olive oil, in particular, preventing atherosclerosis and lowering blood pressure. The doctor explains it to us. José Abellán, Director of the Chair of Cardiovascular Risk at the Catholic University of Murcia and President of the Murcia Society of Arterial Hypertension and Cardiovascular Risk.
Obesity is the increase and distribution of adipose tissue (fat) that has harmful metabolic consequences for the body. This effect on health occurs independently of other diseases and known risk factors. When we talk about obesity, it's not just about weight. We are talking about a disease where there is a growth of fatty tissue in dangerous areas, such as around the liver, intestines or heart. So obesity is not limited to the presence of fat only, but mostly where those fats are found. We need to build the evidence that accompanies the weight loss process, which is why it is essential to create simple structured roadmaps with specific goals, especially for certain groups at higher risk. The support protocol has a positive impact on all parties, firstly for the patients with their quality of life, also for the professionals who improve their competence profile and finally for the management because it can prevent some of the most serious, complex and costly complications. Carles Aguilar speaks with Dr. Gabriel Cuatrecasas, family physician at CAP Sarrià and coordinator of the Obesity Group of CAMFiC, the Catalan Society of Family and Community Medicine.
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