Last week, CARAMEL was proudly represented at the annual meeting of the Spanish Society of Cardiology (Sociedad Española de Cardiología, SEC): the largest cardiology event in Spain. The event was held at the iconic Palacio de Congresos in Granada. Dr. Nerea Arrarte and Dr. Karen López-Linares from our coordinating partner Vicomtech attended this high-profile gathering, which brought together thousands of professionals from across clinical, academic, and technological fields.
The CARAMEL team participated in this key clinical forum to share its innovative approach to women’s cardiovascular health, connect with leading experts, and stay at the forefront of current research and clinical practice. Through this engagement, the team strengthened collaborations and reaffirmed its commitment to advancing research and promoting greater awareness of sex-specific cardiovascular risk and preventive strategies.
A key moment of the event was a dedicated session on “Cardiovascular Disease in Women: Challenges and Opportunities”, moderated by Luis Rodríguez Padial (President of SEC) and Clara Inés Saldarriaga Giraldo (President of the Ibero-American Network of Cardiovascular Health). The session underscored the urgent need to address gender disparities in CVD, with expert insights from:
- Carolina Ortiz Cortés, Fundación Alcorcón University Hospital, on the current state of women’s heart health in Spain;
- Antonia Sambola Ayala, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, who shared findings on the persistent gender gap in hospitalisations and mortality;
- Mildren Alcira Del Sueldo, Argentine Federation of Cardiology, highlighting the challenges of CVD in women across Ibero-America.
An engaging Q&A session followed, enriching the exchange of perspectives.
During the event, the team also had the opportunity to engage with with Dr. Carlos Escobar, a member of CARAMEL’s External Advisory Board (EAB), who moderated an insightful symposium titled “Artificial Intelligence in Cardiology: Finally, a Reality.” The session explored the expanding role of AI in cardiovascular medicine, featuring talks on its application in diagnostic testing, useful AI tools for cardiologists, the pathway from concept to clinical implementation, and the role of public health administration in facilitating AI adoption.
