Friday, October 11, 2024, at 08:50 AM, the opening ceremony of the first international congress dedicated to the topic of sudden cardiac death titled "1st International meeting SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH in the Balkan Area: beyond what we know and directions for future research" will be held at the Aula Magna Rita Levi Montalcini of the Cattinara Teaching Complex.

The event represents an opportunity for the Coordination Center of the Regional Register of Sudden Cardiac Deaths in youth to open up discussions with countries in the Balkan region and beyond, bringing together the leading experts in Sudden Cardiac Death to contribute their scientific knowledge aimed at creating an international multidisciplinary network.

"To date," explains Prof. Gianfranco Sinagra, professor of Cardiovascular Diseases at the University of Trieste and promoter of the Regional Register, "registers like the one launched in 2021 in Friuli Venezia Giulia, thanks to the Region and the foresight of Dr. Alessia Clocchiatti, who handled its legal aspects, are an exception. There are only about ten such registers worldwide, all characterized by extreme heterogeneity in recruitment, study methods, and family involvement. The FVG register combines the completeness of the collected data with innovative aspects related to tissue characterization of the organ using resonance and genetics for selected cases."

Before the conference begins, there will be greetings from the Magnificent Rector of the University of Trieste, Prof. Roberto Di Lenarda, the Health Councillor, Dr. Riccardo Riccardi, the General Director of ASUGI, Dr. Antonio Poggiana, and the President of the Medical and Dental Association of the Province of Trieste, Dr. Cosimo Quaranta. The congress will begin with a presentation by Prof. Mary Noelle Sheppard, an internationally renowned cardiopathologist, who will address the long-standing issue of guidelines in the morphological study of sudden cardiac death. This will be followed by three specialized roundtables with authoritative forensic doctors, geneticists, and cardiologists from Italy, Macedonia, Serbia, Greece, Turkey, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

"All the colleagues we asked to contribute their scientific knowledge responded with enthusiasm," says Prof. Stefano D'Errico, professor of Legal Medicine at UniTS, event organizer along with Prof. Aneta Aleksova, professor of Cardiovascular Diseases, and Prof. Giorgia Girotto, professor of Medical Genetics. "They immediately agreed and became promoters of the event in their own countries, involving the National Scientific Societies that offered their patronage to the meeting."

The event is sponsored by the University of Trieste, the University Clinical Department of Medical, Surgical, and Health Sciences, and the Giuliano Isontina University Health Agency.