Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin, Berlin, Germany
Regular readers will recall, that back in 1999, I organised an International Symposium in Berlin, where I brought together some of the leading names in hypertension and obesity, thereby indadvertedly starting what would turn out to be a series of such symposia, the 3rd of which was held 23-25, October 2003 at the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin-Buch, Germany.
Once again, the meeting, consisted largely of over 40 invited lectures, presenting a state-of-the-art overview of the genetic and molecular mechanisms that link obesity and hypertension.
The roster of distinguished speakers included colleagues like Salim Yusuf (Canada), Claude Bouchard (USA), Margaret E Diaz (Uruguay), Tessa van der Merwe (South Africa), Anthony Comuzzie (USA), Philipe Froguel (France), Pasquale Strazullo (Italy), Friedrich C Luft (Germany), Saverio Cinti (Italy), Matthias Blüher (Germany), Barbara E Corkey (USA), Keith Frayn (UK), Theodore Kurtz (USA), Hubert Vidal (France), Toru Funahashi (Japan), Felipe F Casanueva (Spain), Matthias Barton (Switzerland), Denis Baskin (USA), Paul Korner (Australia), Krzysztof Narkiewicz (Poland), Marleen van Baak (The Netherlands), Bill Haynes (USA), Helena Cortez-Pinto (Portugal), Luis M Ruilope (Spain), George Bray (USA), Anthony Kafatos (Greece), Angelo Tremblay (Canada), and Carl David Sjöström (Sweden).
These talks were supplemented by around 90 posters from investigators in 34 countries.
The total attendance grew to a remarkable 250 participants from 54 countries – a truly international event – all organised out of my office with rather limited funding.
Many of the speakers and attendees are still close friends and collaborators – part of my ever-growing international network, from which I continue to benefit and dearly cherish to this day.
Readers interested in an overview of the lectures presented at this meeting covering topics ranging from genetics, molecular mechanisms, pathophysiology, cardiovascular risk, to the management of patients with obesity-related hypertension may wish to refer to the proceedings published in the International Journal of Obesity.
AMS
Edmonton, Alberta
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