Research News at NIPC

As part of a special cardiology issue of the Hospital Professional News Ireland, Irene Gibson, PhD, FIPC, FESC, Head of Clinical Innovation, National Institute for Prevention and Cardiovascular Health, recently wrote an article on ‘Harnessing digital health for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease’.

Responding to the need for early initiation of prevention after an index event, particularly given delays in patients accessing traditional cardiac rehabilitation programmes, the NIPC in collaboration with the University of Galway have developed a digital intervention known as “INTERCEPT”. INTERCEPT includes an mHealth app which aims to support and motivate patients to achieve a healthier lifestyle while managing their CVD risk factors. The app links to a healthcare professional portal to facilitate remote monitoring and integrates with a fitness wearable to enable real time self-monitoring.


Read the full article about INTERCEPT on pages 44-45

The Importance of Respectful Language to Enhance Care
A statement of the Association of Cardiovascular Nurses & Allied Professions (ACNAP) of the ESC, the ESC patient forum and the ESC advocacy committee. The use of respectful communication is essential to establishing a good therapeutic relationship between the healthcare professional (HCP) and the patient. Negative language can adversely affect interactions between the public and HCPs. Person-centred care is advocated in cardiovascular care, but there is lack of information regarding on how communication and respectful language can be applied.

Read the full article, with contributions from Prof Catriona Jennings, Director of  Nursing and Interdisciplinary Relations, NIPC and Irene Gibson, PhD, FIPC, FESC, Head of Clinical Innovation, NIPC

EAPC Round-up

The European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) 2025 Congress took place recently in Milan, focusing on “risk factor realities” and the future of cardiovascular prevention through innovation and implementation.

The NIPC team actively contributed to the programme:
  • Prof. Bill McEvoy presented the 2024 ESC Hypertension Guidelines, discussing the updates that included a focus on the “elevated blood pressure” category.
  • Prof. Kornelia Kotseva shared late-breaking findings from the INTERASPIRE study, spotlighting global disparities in cardiac rehabilitation.
With over 120 sessions covering AI, digital health, and socioeconomic influences on heart disease, the event reinforced the importance of turning evidence into action.