The “Heart” health conference, taking place on May 28 at Ülemiste City, focuses on one of Estonia’s biggest health challenges – cardiovascular diseases. More than 20 experts will share the latest developments that help prevent illness and reduce mortality related to heart disease. Among other topics, the results of a health study of Meliva and Ülemiste City employees will be presented.

Heart disease does not develop overnight, but neither do the solutions. “A lot is being done to support employees’ health, but for us it is important to understand whether it actually leads to the desired change. The experience of Ülemiste City shows that talent health cannot be successfully managed through fragmented activities; data must support decisions and guide actions,” says Ljudmila Pihel, Talent Manager at Ülemiste City.

However, making decisions requires more than just a company’s own data. “If a health indicator is, for example, five, we don’t know whether that is a good or a bad result. In cooperation with Meliva, we obtained cross-sector comparison data that helps put our results into context and makes discussions and decisions much more concrete,” Pihel added.

At the conference, Pihel will present concrete examples of how a comprehensive approach to talent health has been built at Ülemiste City and what has been learned along the way.

“Cardiovascular diseases remain one of the leading causes of premature death in Estonia, affecting people of all ages. At the same time, a large proportion of these diseases are preventable if health risks are addressed in time,” Pihel explains why this year’s conference focuses on heart health.

The health conference offers a separate program for healthcare professionals as well as for employers and health-conscious individuals. For medical professionals, the conference provides a good opportunity to exchange knowledge and share the latest advancements. Employers, HR managers, and health enthusiasts will gain practical knowledge for creating a health-supportive work environment and preventing health risks. Practice has shown that health problems affect an individual’s ability to work and thereby increase indirect costs for companies.

Leading Estonian cardiologists, researchers, and healthcare experts will speak at the “Heart” conference. Among the speakers are cardiologist-researcher Aet Elken and vascular surgeon Priit Põder from the North Estonia Medical Centre, Sander Pajusalu, Head of the Genetics and Personalised Medicine Clinic at the Tartu University Hospital, Erki Mölder, partner at Verge HealthTech Fund, Associate Professor of Public Health at the University of Tartu Taavi Tillmann, Chair of the Management Board of Meliva Marja-Liisa Alop, Head of Specialised Care Policy at the Ministry of Social Affairs Mariken Ross, and many other top-level experts.

The program for healthcare professionals will cover topics such as cardiac arrhythmias, leadless pacemakers, dyslipidemia, the latest treatment guidelines for hypertension, and the impact of physical activity on heart health. The program for employers and health enthusiasts will focus, for example, on the links between headaches and heart health, the reliability of health data from smart devices, as well as recommendations for improving the work environment and employee health, and discussions on the relationship between social factors and heart health.

In addition to traditional presentations, participants can also take part in unique walking talks, where topics related to heart health will be discussed along the Ülemiste City health trail.

The “Heart” health conference will take place at Ülemiste City — the largest privately funded health campus in the Baltics — on May 28, starting at 9:00 a.m.