Organised jointly by Eastern Mediterranean University, Cyprus Geriatrics Foundation, and Turkish Diabetics Foundation, ‘International Cardiometabolic Syndrome Eastern Mediterranean Congress and Eastern Mediterranean Health Sciences Student Symposium’ took place under the auspices of the TRNC President Dr. Derviş Eroğlu on 5 and 9 November 2014.
More than 100 speakers from the USA, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Northern Cyprus participated in the congress which hosted 1366 participants featured 26 panels, 3 conferences, 1 public session, 31 professional training courses and a total of 133 presentations.
During the congress, obesity, coronary artery disease, hypertension, dyslipidemia, pysical inactivity, insulin resistance and diabetics were analysed as the components of the cardiometabolic health syndrome. On 8 November 2014, EMU Health Sciences Faculty Dean Prof. Dr. Hülya Harutoğlu announced the closing declaration at a press meeting.
Within the framework of the closing declaration, Prof. Dr. Harutoğlu stated that cardiometabolic syndrome is an important health problem with multiple components and interdisciplinary coordination for the treatment of this syndrome is essential. Other points made in the closing declaration were as follows:
- In line with primary protective principles, public awareness about the cardiometabolic syndorme and the risk factors has to be raised via relevant ministries, media, fashion sector, professional and non-governmental organisations.
- The primary step in fighting with the cardiometabolic syndrome (prevention of the development of disease in individuals at the risk group), secondary step (management of complications) and tertiary step (case management, prolonging life span) carry utmost importance. For each of these steps, appropriate in-service training should take place and handbooks should be developed and modified locally.
- Undergraduate and postgraduate level courses aiming to provide information and raise awareness in the cardiometabolic syndrome should be made available in all health sciences faculties.
- For each component of the cardiometabolic syndrome, large-scale scientific research based on evidence and a multidisciplinary approach should be carried out.
Within the framework of the congress, some participants received awards for their oral or poster presentations.
- Halil Daşgın and his team (first place): The evaluation of patients with metabolic syndrome in terms of health belief scale.
- Sevda Cevheroğlu and her team (second place): The awareness level of the hypertension patients aged 40 and over and their compliance with the treatment.
- Başar Öztürk and his team (third place): The comparison of the effects of three different exercise programs on the functional performance of Type 2 patients with diabetics.
Poster presentation award winners:
- Tuğçe Kalaycıoğlu and her team (first place): ‘A Pilot Study: Comparison of the Effects of The Performance of Adolescent Professional Tennis Players with or without Shoes.’
- Yasin Yurt and his team (second place): ‘Intergender Foot Sole Pressure Difference’
- Birsen Demirel and her team (third place): ‘Ketogenic Diet Treatment in the Childhood Epilepsy’
At the end of the ceremony, certificates were awarded to sponsors. EMU Health Sciences Faculty Dean Prof. Dr. Hülya Harutoğlu also thanked all those who have contributed to the event.