24 Nov 2025: Congratulations to the Croatian Hypertension League (CHL), the Croatian Society for Hypertension, and the Croatian Atherosclerosis Society on a successful congress this month on pre-hypertension, hypertension, atherosclerosis and cardio-kidney-neuro-metabolic health.

The MEGA Congress 2025 in Split brought together leading experts, researchers and healthcare professionals from Croatia and 22 other countries across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas, with 240 on-site attendees and 305 online participants.

ISH President George Stergiou was one of the speakers at the meeting, which featured 116 invited lectures, 67 oral presentations, and 30 poster presentations.

The Congress took place following CHL activity for World Heart Day 2025 on 29 September 2025.

The CHL campaign - Hunting the Silent Killer - took place in European Square in Zagreb and was carried out alongside CHL member organisations including the Croatian Atherosclerosis Society and the Croatian Society for Hypertension. This year’s event introduced new partnerships with the European Society of Cardiology and the European Alliance for Cardiovascular Health.

As part of the campaign, hundreds of citizens received free health screenings and personalised counselling. Participants could measure blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol at no cost. Metabolic-related measurements were also systematically arranged.

CHL medical volunteers provided individualised advice and conducted atrial fibrillation (AFib) screening using ECG devices. These services helped identify potential “silent” issues such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, or irregular heart rhythm, enabling attendees to seek timely medical follow-up.

A total of 269 individuals were screened and educated during the day’s event. Over 60% had elevated blood pressure or cholesterol. Around 70% were overweight or obese. And 9 people were found to have atrial fibrillation. Importantly, 4 were unaware of their condition, and were advised to follow up with a physician.

The campaign underscored the life-saving value of proactive population screening.