Lecture by prof. Raj Thakkar, President PCCS, UK, held during the EPCCS symposium as part of the WONCA World Congress in Lisbon on September 19, 2025
Prof. Raj Thakkar, BSc(Hons) MBBS MRCGP MRCP(UK) FRCP(Edin),GP and GPSI, cardiology, President and CKD lead, Primary Care Cardiovascular Society, UK. Member, National Expert advisory groups for lipids, heart attack and HF, NHSE, National primary care workstream co-lead - cardiac transformation programme, NHSE
The cause of most excess deaths in most countries during the COVID pandemic were from cardiometabolic-renal disease (CMR) events in susceptible patients. Excess mortality rates continue post pandemic and are mainly from CMR causes. Health systems are failing to identify and mitigate the common risk factors that drive CMR disease despite the WHO’s priority call for increased focus on disease prevention and long-term condition (LTC) management.
Primary care has a key role to play in disease prevention and as much as 40% of GP caseload will relate to CMR disease. However, CMR has the largest evidence base in medicine and is the focus for much innovation in healthcare interventions given the importance of CMR disease to health systems. Alongside managing the classic CMR risk factors the impact of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on CMR outcomes and the options for risk reduction in CKD has a newer evidence base.
The symposium was part of the WONCA 2025 world congress. GPcardio did not receive external funding for this programme
