An important way to achieve our shared ambition is by promoting cooperation in the cardiovascular field and joining forces. One way to do this is by identifying opportunities in research and funding and jointly exploiting them and resolving any bottlenecks. To establish this kind of cooperation, the DCVA has experimented with various ways to stimulate research collaboration, including by guiding so-called "Explorations".
From various perspectives, the process of conducting an exploration emerges as a valuable approach to start and establish a national collaboration. We have described the whole process of conducting an exploration, clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the DCVA Office and the Research Policy Working Group. By being clear and transparant in this process, we aim to facilitate future collaborations.
At the request of several DCVA partners, including the Dutch Heart Foundation, which has earlier recognition of cardiovascular disease highly prioritized on its national research agenda, the DCVA explored the potential for a national initiative to develop the first population screening for cardiovascular disease.
The Check@Home study builds on previous studies, including the KidneyCheck study. To achieve a national approach to the early detection of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney damage, the DCVA, Dutch Heart Foundation, Dutch Kidney Foundation and Dutch Diabetes Fund established the Check@Home consortium. This is a collaboration of multiple research groups, private parties, and research funders: NWO, the Dutch Heart Foundation, the Dutch Kidney Foundation and the Dutch Diabetes Fund.
Heart failure has long been a priority of the Dutch Heart Foundation. The Dutch CardioVascular Alliance (DCVA) also announced the need to stimulate collaboration in this field back in 2022. Based on this, an exploration was carried out at the initiative of the Dutch Heart Foundation.
This resulted in the Delta Plan Heart Failure, which is initiated and financed by the Dutch Heart Foundation, the Netherlands Heart Institute, and the Dutch Cardiovascular Alliance. In this national project, healthcare professionals, researchers, and patients have joined forces and will focus on the entire continuum of the disease from prevention to palliative care.
Several partners of the DCVA, including the Heart Foundation, NVIVG, NVvV, NVVC, NHG, Harteraad, VKGN, but also beyond (Erfocentrum) wondered if and how more people at hereditary risk could be detected earlier. Therefore, after consulting the Research Policy Working Group in 2021, they took the initiative for this exploration to identify what is needed to make a difference for people with (the risk of) hereditary cardiovascular diseases. The Dutch Heart Foundation provided a project leader (Ineke Nederend). The Research Policy pillar set up a supervisory committee, which consisted of several partners. This exploration resulted in the report ‘Verbetering vroege opsporing van erfelijke hart- en vaatziekten in Nederland’.
Afterwards, an inventory of ongoing research in the Netherlands in the field of hereditary heart disease as well as opportunities to improve the treatment of hereditary heart disease was performed by Imke Christiaans (clinical geneticist, UMC Groningen) and Leon de Windt (professor of molecular cardiovascular biology, Maastricht University).
Based on the exploration, and in synergy, several researchers took the initiative to apply for various (major) funding opportunities in 2023.
Based on this exploration, the Dutch Heart Foundation took the initiative to develop a call together with NWO, named ‘KIC Samen voor een beter leven met erfelijke hartziekten - Innovaties voor vroegdetectie, risicopredictie en therapie’. This led to the PRECISE consortium, led by Prof. Jolanda van der Velden.
The Dutch Heart Foundation has asked DCVA to set up and supervise an exploration to make an inventory of which topics within arterial calcification, and through which collaborations, a new future-proof consortium could be set up. Using existing networks, but also with plenty of room for 'new' talent. The exploration was conducted in end of 2022/start of 2023 by Gerard Pasterkamp (experimental cardiology, UMC Utrecht), Menno de Winther (medical biochemist, Amsterdam UMC) and Jeanine Roeters van Lennep (vascular internist, Erasmus MC). The 3 explorers visited all academic hospitals. This led to a 3-pager report, which was shared with all partners, where it was recommended to set up a new national consortium. Based on this, further content broadening was sought with an input session.
Atherosclerosis is the key disease mechanism underlying a large part of the cardiovascular disease burden and is therefore a highly important topic for the Dutch Heart Foundation, they organised an invitational call. This resulted in the AtheroNeth consortium.
Conversations with several DCVA partners in recent years revealed that applications in the field of aneurysms were regularly submitted. These applications did not lead to a successful grant award because the projects were often too small and unicentered. It was therefore agreed to conduct an exploration, with the goal of increasing the chances of receiving funding through more national cooperation between the various centers. This exploration aimed to identify opportunities for a national initiative on this relevant topic. Important in this exploration was that aneurysms in the head as well as in the aorta would be included.
This exploration was done in 2022 and 2023 by Hanneke Takkenberg (epidemiologist thoracic surgery, Erasmus MC), Mervyn Vergouwen (vascular neurologist, UMC Utrecht) and Barend Mees (vascular surgeon, Maastricht UMC). DCVA partners and a number of scientific and patient associations were asked to delegate individuals for multiple input sessions. This led to the report "DCVA inventarisatie landelijk aneurysma-onderzoek".
The Dutch Heart Foundation endorsed the findings of the exploration and the importance of national cooperation on this important topic. After an invitational call, the Dutch Heart Foundation has funded the national consortium on aneurysms, Aneurysm-NL.
Research highlights that implementing lifestyle interventions before surgery improves patient outcomes. The "Eerder Beter" initiative is dedicated to providing cardiac rehabilitation and lifestyle interventions to vulnerable patients even before their surgery. By utilizing the waiting period as an active preparation phase, patients can enter surgery in better physical condition, thus improving their recovery prospects.
A national, interdisciplinary collaboration on heart valves is lacking, which limits the scientific impact of the field. Therefore, the DCVA, together with concerned researchers and partners, launched a national exploration to explore how to achieve an effective collaboration in the field of heart valves that contributes to our shared mission. Three explorers have been appointed for this exploration: Michiel Voskuil (interventional cardiologist, UMCU), Carlijn Bouten (cardiovascular regeneration researcher, TU/E), Ricardo Budde (cardiovascular radiologist, Erasmus MC). The first step is to conduct a digital survey.
