Scientific highlights from the Great Wall International Congress of Cardiology 2019

The Great Wall International Congress of Cardiology (GW-ICC) 2019 drew more than 22 000 delegates from 45 countries, making it the largest congress of cardiology in the Asia-Pacific region. It was held from 10–13 October at the China National Convention Center in Beijing. The GW-ICC celebrated the 30th anniversary of its founding in 1989.1 At the opening ceremony, the President of the 30th GW-ICC, Professor Chen Yihan, reviewed the development of GW-ICC over the past 30 years and focused on the contribution of the congress to cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment. Stanford University Professor Dr Robert A. Harrington, President of American Heart Association (AHA), gave an opening speech, entitled ‘Stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD): Waiting on ischemia’, in which he discussed how to reduce the risk of bleeding with antithrombotic therapy.2 The organizing committee invited Professor Tomasz J. Guzik, Editor-in-Chief of Cardiovascular Research, to attend the opening session and he gave a keynote speech entitled ‘Targeting Inflammation in Hypertension’.3–6 Professor Zhang Jian from Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Science, who served as President of the 29th GW-ICC, gave ‘The Progress of Cardiogenic Shock Diagnosis and Practice in China’;7 Professor Chen Shaoliang of Nanjing People’s Hospital presented ‘Myocardial Revascularization: Beyond the Techniques’.8 An in-depth discussion followed between Professor Guzik and Professor Jian on popular topics in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiogenic shock in China and Western countries. There was agreement that the early identification and diagnosis of cardiogenic shock is vital to improve the survival of patients. In recent years, the GW-ICC committee has established an alliance with international associations to facilitate the exchange of information. At the congress, major cardiac societies from around the world hosted 56 joint sessions. Hosts included the American Heart Association, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), the European Society of Atherosclerosis (EAS) Joint Forum, the EAS Training Course, and the Asian Cardiology Forum.9 New highlights in cardiovascular disease were introduced by international experts in these joint sessions. Dr Joseph A. Hill, Editor-in-Chief of Circulation, USA, shared his research about systemic and local signalling influences in HFpEF development. Dr Martin E. Young, Associate Professor of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, discussed the role of the circadian clock on cardiac physiology and pathology, and Jane E. Freedman, Editor-in-Chief of Circulation Research, discussed the use of transcriptomics with novel biomarkers: using populations and precision medicine to improve predictors of cardiovascular disease. Chinese experts also introduced cardiovascular innovations in the joint sessions, Professor Han Yaling presented a clinical research report on NeoVas bioabsorbable stents, and Professor Ge Junbo covered innovation and breakthroughs in valve clamps. Over the past 30 years, the GW-ICC has provided a venue for the interpretation of newly published clinical guidelines in various sessions, giving clinicians an opportunity to study and use them. The GW-ICC also provides a platform for the promotion of Chinese versions of clinical cardiology guidelines. Professor Jing Zhicheng from the Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences provided an interpretation of the updated 2018 version of guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension in China. In the ‘Session with the Editors-in-Chief’, Professor Guzik, Gregory Lim (Nature Reviews Cardiology), Joseph Hill (Circulation), Valentin Fuster (JACC), and Jane Freedman (Circulation Research) reported on important research in their respective journals. Their presentations shared the common theme that good questions are keys to high-quality research. Professor Guzik gave a presentation on the most heavily cited studies from Chinese institutions published in Cardiovascular Research in recent years.10 These papers covered hot topics such as non-coding RNAs,11,12 cardiac regeneration,13 lipid targeting,14 and cardiac metabolism.15 A recent, freely available virtual issue, also in the Chinese language, highlighted the articles discussed. Further, Professor Guzik emphasized the important contribution that Chinese researchers make to Cardiovascular Research highlighting a 21% increase in manuscripts submitted from China and a corresponding increase in acceptance rate. There were a number of influential researchers operating out of Chinese institutions that form part of the Journal’s Editorial Board. Professor Guzik stated that this was an optimistic time for cardiovascular science in China and encouraged young scientists to actively contribute and strengthen their collaboration with the Journal. At the 30th GW-ICC, the Chinese Heart Association (CHA) reached an agreement with the AHA Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Council (BCVS) to promote the International Mentored and Exchange (BIME) Fellow Program to establish a one-on-one mentor system for young Chinese clinicians and top scientists in the USA to improve career prospects for Chinese investigators. The authors acknowledge the assistance of Heather Y. Small in the drafting and preparation of this manuscript. Conflict of interest: none declared. Biography: Dr Jie Du is Professor and Deputy Director of Beijing Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases. He received his PhD in 1989. In 1992, he moved to Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine for a Postdoctoral Fellowship. In 2005, he was appointed as Associate Professor of Department of Internal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine. Since 2008, he is professor of Capital Medical University. He focuses on the basic, clinical, and translational research for cardiovascular disease. He has published more than 240 papers in peer-reviewed journals, and he is on the Elsevier’s annual list of Most Cited Chinese Researchers (2014–2018). He received ATVB Special Recognition Awards (2016). He is Associate Editor of Atherosclerosis Thrombus Vascular Biology and Cardiovascular Research. He is the Chairman of Circulation Committee of Chinese Physiological Society. Biography: Dr Jian Zhang is Professor and Director of Heart Failure Center, Fuwai Hospital. He received his MD in 1984 from Lan Zhou University and got the PhD in Peking Union Medical College. Since 1984, he has engaged to the clinical practice over 35 years. As a cardiologist, he is major in heart failure, cardiomyopathy, and diagnosis and treatment of severe cardiovascular diseases. He has published about 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals. As the chief author, he has edited three books. He was awarded Outstanding Contribution of Experts (2017) by National Ministry of Health. He also won the Chinese Physician Award (2018). He is a Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology (FESC), American College of Cardiology (FACC), and Heart Failure Society of America (FHFSA). He is the President of Chinese Heart Failure Association, Chinese Medical Doctors Association. He is Editor-in-Chief of Chinese Journal of Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathy.