Instytut Chorób Serca - Zakład Kardiologii Prewencyjnej

Summary. What cardiovascular disease prevention is?

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention is a coordinated set of actions, at the population and at an individual level, aimed at eliminating or minimizing the impact of CVDs and their related disabilities.

At the population level, prevention should be delivered by promoting healthy lifestyle.

At the individual level, i.e. in those subjects at moderate to high risk of CVD or patients with established CVD, prevention should tackle unhealthy lifestyles and optimise risk factor levels.

CVD prevention programme should be developed to support healthcare professionals in cardiovascular (CV) risk stratification, and communicating with individuals about their risk, the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and early modification of their risk.

Massimo Piepoli holds the role of Acting Director of the UOC of Cardiology and UTIC of the Guglielmo da Saliceto Hospital (AUSL Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna Region Health System) and  a contract professor at the University of Parma, as well as being Affiliated at the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, and the G. Monasterio Foundation, large national reference centers.

Graduated in Medicine and Surgery and specialized in Cardiology at the University of Pavia in 1987 and 1991 respectively, in 1996 he obtained the Phylosophy Doctor Degree at Imperial College London. The subject of his PhD was the cardiovascular response to physical stress in healthy subjects and patients with chronic heart failure, which has led to multiple publications (eg Lancet, Circulation, J of Physiology, J of App Physiol, Am J of Cardiol, Heart, Eur Heart J).

He also holds a Masters in Echocardiography at the Institute of Clinical Physiology of Pisa. He worked as a resident in cardiology at the Department of Internal Medicine of the University of Pavia, and subsequently at the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine of the University of Oxford (UK) and the Department of Cardiology of Imperial College London (UK) studying the pathophysiology of arterial hypertension, dilated heart disease in decompensation, and the neuroendocrine control of the cardiovascular system in collaboration with international research groups (Milan, Berlin, Wrockaw, Athens).

Since 2000 he has held research coordination roles within national scientific societies (Italian Society of Cardiology, National Association of Hospital Cardiologists, Italian Association for Cardiovascular Prevention) but above all international (European Society of Cardiology, Heart Failure Association, European Association Preventive Cardiology) leading working groups and more recently collaborating in the drafting of guidelines in various cardiovascular areas. In 2014 he led the VI Joint Task Force which drafted the European Guidelines on Cardiovascular Prevention.

On 1 August 2017, he obtained the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR) National Qualification Professor First Band, for the competitive sector 06 / D1, Cardiovascular System Diseases, Call D.D. 1532/2016.

Piepoli's research examines the pathophysiology of heart failure and the role of neuro-hormonal imbalance in the evolution of heart failure, as well as the mechanisms of cardiovascular disease, innovation in diagnostics and therapy. His research results (Scopus 2021: January 24: H index 98; Total citations 85,728; Documents cited 592) testify to the results of his clinical research methodology and attitude towards a multidisciplinary approach. Several research projects are based on international collaborative networks and have been able to attract funds that have ensured their pursuit and realization.

His current clinical interest covers the spectrum of medical management of cardiovascular diseases, with particular attention to heart failure, and his research interests are mainly focused on biomarkers, etiology and phenotypes of cardiomyopathies, cardio-respiratory interactions, neuroendocrine control of the cardiovascular system, pathophysiology and clinical aspects of heart failure, including diagnostic, therapeutic and general management problems. In addition, she leads projects on the control of risk factors, the promotion of healthy vine styles and the prevention of heart failure, applications of cardiopulmonary tests to the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

He is the author of 351 articles in peer-reviewed journals (Pubmed), contributed to the drafting of 31 European guidelines, 53 position papers, 136 invited lectures to international conferences, publisher of 12 books.

Since 2017, winner of international selection, he has been appointed Editor in Chief de European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention, which under his guidance has seen his IF grow from 3.3 to 5.8; he is also a member of the Editorial Board of the European Heart Journal (IF 22), and of the European Journal of Heart Failure (IF 12). From 2020 he was also elected to the board of the European Society of Cardiology with the role of advisor.

As for the academic commitment, he is responsible for the medical training of the students and postgraduates of the School of Cardiology of the University of Parma and Modena-Reggio-Emilia attending the Cardiology Unit of Piacenza; since 2018 he has been a member of the Institutional Ethics Committee of the Vasta Emilia Nord Area. He is a Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology, of the Heart Failure Association of the ESC, member of both Italian Societies of Cardiology.

Beyond professional involvement, he acts as a health advocate within his institutional role and as a personal commitment. He actively practices sports (rowing, cycling). He is deeply interested in literature, music, figurative arts, history, philosophy. His family is a source of inspiration. With his wife Giulia Rachele, artist, photographer and agricultural entrepreneur, he has a daughter, Bianca, 15, a skier and high school student and a son, Jacopo, 13, tennis player and middle school student.