A multidisciplinary approach to cardiovascular diseases

It is a great honor for me to present a selection of papers discussed on the occasion of the 1st Congress organized by the Multinational Chapter of the International Union of Angiology (IUA) in conjunction with the XXIV Congress of the Mediterranean League of Angiology and Vascular Surgery (MLAVS), that was held on October 2-5, 2014 at the Didactic Centre of the Campus of the University of Palermo, with the aim of being an opportunity for scientific dialogue and communication at the highest levels.The subtitle of the meeting \u201cA multidisciplinary approach to cardiovascular diseases\u201d is in agreement with the mission of the IUA and MLAVS, both characterized by a multidisciplinary approach, aiming to provide a unique forum for discussing critical issues concerning the management and care of all vascular patients, that is focused on two main issues: to bring together all types of vascular specialists and support their interdisciplinary cooperation, that is neces-sary for a good clinical practice at present, and to support young vascular specialists and give them an educational opportunity and the possibility to be scientifically active. During the Congress the most recent experiences and researches in the field of cardiovascular diseases were pre-sented and debated among angiologists, cardiologists, diabetologists, specialists in internal medicine and geriatrics, hematologists, radiologists, vascular surgeons, biologists and genetists, as well as young post-graduate doctors in these disciplines, in a multiform and attractive scientific programme.Salvatore NovoChairman of the Congres