Cardiac Sarcoidosis Awareness Patient Day at Royal Brompton Hospital

Heart health

The first Cardiac Sarcoidosis Awareness Patient Day took place at the Royal Brompton Hospital on the 12th of June, being organised by Dr Vasilis Kouranos and Mrs Susan Gilmour.

The event was well attended by patients and relatives and the feedback has been highly positive.  Patients had the opportunity to share their own experience and exchange ideas regarding the management of their symptoms on a daily basis.

Sarcoidosis UK, the largest charity in the field, kindly supported the event.

Dr Rakesh Sharma, Cardiology Lead for the service, commented: “it is evident from the enthusiasm for this event that there is a huge unmet patient demand for more information about this potentially serious condition. We aim to hold another patient event in the near future”.

Professor Athol Wells, Respiratory Lead for the service, explained that “until recently, the huge impact of cardiac sarcoidosis on the lives of many patients has not been fully understood.  Major advances in imaging (MRI and PET scans) have transformed diagnosis and management, giving us, for the first time, a way to communicate very clearly with patients in a way that makes the logic of their management very transparent”. 

Dr Vasilis Kouranos announced the design of a new website specifically for cardiac sarcoidosis providing information regarding the diagnosis and treatment of the disease, clinical trials and new treatments. The website would allow for free and easier communication between patients and the medical team as well as amongst patients themselves.