Olivier S. Descamps1*, Fabian Demeure (2), Ann Mertens (3), Ann Verhaegen (4), Michel Langlois (5), Caroline Wallemacq (6), Ernst Rietzschel (7). On behalf of the Belgian Society of Atherosclerosis.Published in the journal : September 2024Category : Internal Medicine
In this article, we propose an update of the recommendations concerning lipid-lowering treatment in cardiovascular prevention. Since the 2021 publication, new risk estimation and medication selection tools have been developed. Notable advances in risk assessment include the development of a specific score for Type 2 diabetic patients, and the promotion of lipoprotein(a) measurement, which brings a significant nuance to cardiovascular risk. Regarding new drugs, we have benefited from the arrival of bempedoic acid since 2022 in Belgium, which belongs to a new therapeutic class, and inclisiran, which has been added to the therapeutic class of treatments targeting PCSK9, as well as the extension of reimbursement conditions for evolocumab. We felt that this update was necessary, given the importance of these new developments in our daily cardiovascular prevention practice.
As one of the objectives of the Belgian Plan for Rare Diseases and aimed at quality management in the officially designated Belgian Centers for Medical Genetics (CMGs), the Belgian Genetic Testing Database (BGTD) is intended to be a single entry point for the centralized registration of genetic tests, providing relevant, uniform, detailed, and quality-related information, while ensuring traceability. Its implementation should enable healthcare providers to better guide patients to appropriate genetic testing, optimize data exchange with external resources such as Orphanet, promote uniform reporting to government healthcare organizations, and increase the visibility of Belgian clinical genetics expertise.
The BGTD is a web application based on open source software (https://gentest.healthdata.be/) and currently comprises 854 molecular genetic tests linked to general and supplementary information.
The data is validated at least annually by the CMGs and continuously by Sciensano, which hosts and maintains the database.
This article highlights the importance of medical and health anthropology for medical practice, particularly for general practitioners. Cultural beliefs, social practices, and contexts (historical, political, economic) influence the health of the population.
A new University Certificate in Medical and Health Anthropology at UCLouvain aims to raise healthcare professionals’ awareness of these issues and prepare them for a more holistic and inclusive approach to healthcare, with the purpose of improving the quality of care and its adaptation to the various needs of patients.
The need to train physicians in transition and sustainable development is no longer debated. The Catholic University of Louvain has committed itself to this path with its transition plan. Within the Department of General Medicine, this topic has also been deemed essential to integrate into the curriculum. But what specific concepts should be included and how? What skills should general practitioners gain? To address these questions, a focus group of experts from various disciplines was convened in December 2021. They emphasized the importance of training all general practitioners in transition and environmental health because of the close link between the environment and health, and the exemplary role they can play in the population and their own responsibility in terms of environmental impact. The topics, skills, and values involved in such training are manifold. Based on the challenges of training in transition and sustainable development, this article explores the development of socio-environmental responsibility among general practitioners, pedagogical approaches, and the receptivity to other scientific knowledge to address complex problems.
Stanislas van Wassenhove (1), Michel Dupuis (2), Jean-Bernard Gillet (3), Brice Le Blévennec (4), Sébastien Deletaille (5), Augustin Coppée (6)Published in the journal : September 2024Category : Durabilité et soins de santé
In a world where health challenges are constantly evolving, the first meeting of Trans-mutation-Health of the Future opened a crucial dialogue on the theme of “Humanity and Sustainability”.
Health in Belgium is at a turning point: quality, funding, adaptation, integration, and prevention form the core of our interrogations. The eight speakers at this meeting brilliantly faced the challenge of answering these questions, shedding light on the path to preserving care quality, respect for patients, financial equilibrium, and the use of technology in care management and prevention, as well as in the development of new treatments.
Lamine Gakuba Rwema*, Olivier Cornu*, Gérald Delfosse, Sami Ftaita, Louis Debarre, Quentin Vraux, Jean-Emile Dubuc, Emmanuel ThienpontPublished in the journal : September 2024Category : Orthopedics
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are one of the most common ligament injuries in athletes. The primary goal of treatment is to restore stability and function to the knee while preventing secondary lesions. Treatment modalities depend on the anatomic characteristics of the rupture, associated lesions, residual stability, and functional requirements of the patient. Conservative treatment consists of several weeks of physical therapy. A subsequent re-evaluation may still lead to surgical treatment at a later stage.
Although there are a variety of surgical treatments, the most common procedure remains ACL ligamentoplasty with one or more grafts (autografts, allografts).
The aim of this article is to recall the epidemiology, biomechanics, and current management of these lesions, thus allowing a better understanding by general practitioners, orthopedists, and sports physicians.
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) implemented in palliative care (PC) are illustrated here through a case study of a patient suffering from metastatic pancreatic cancer from his admission to the palliative unit until his death, including contact with his family.
Through a review of the literature on the concept of mindfulness and the various interventions that exist and have been used in PC, the article outlines those that were used in this case. Which MBIs have been studied and what benefits have been demonstrated for the caregiver, for the caregiver-patient relationship, and for the patient in a PC setting? The two main MBI formats, group and individual, are explored here through different authors as to their relevance for use.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is the most common leukemia subtype, accounting for over one-third of leukemia cases in Belgium. Recent years have seen a significant expansion in the treatment range available to patients and clinicians. Today, we live in an era of targeted therapies and immunotherapies, relegating chemotherapy to very rare situations. These new treatments were shown to offer excellent prospects in terms of progression-free survival and quality of life for patients, but they have also introduced new toxicity profiles that clinicians must manage. This article sought to provide physicians with a condensed update on what they need to know about managing this disease in 2024.
On the occasion of the ECU-UCL educational day on May 25, 2024, the author sought to highlight clinical or paraclinical characteristics that likely guide differential diagnosis, and to briefly discuss common and critical rheumatic disorders.
On the occasion of the ECU-UCL educational day on May 25, 2024, the author sought to predict the evolution of rheumatology by highlighting the decline in current rheumatic semiology, emergence of new diseases (particularly of environmental origin), contributions of network medicine, as well as the emergence of cell therapy.