Local heart charity Croi has scooped a major award for its pioneering work in the prevention of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Croí chartered physiotherapist Ailbhe McMahon was awarded the top prize for the best presentation at a scientific conference at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin.
She walked away with the O’Flanagan Prize for her presentation entitled “Exercise Prescription in an Irish Setting: Preliminary Findings from a Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Programme” at the RCSI’s Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine’s annual scientific conference.
Ms McMahon is a member of Croí’s multi-disciplinary team delivering the “Croí MyAction Programme”. It is the first cardiovascular disease prevention programme of its kind in Ireland, delivering gold standard lifestyle behaviour change to those most at risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
The programme is being monitored by leading experts at the Imperial College, London and provides a free 12 to16 week intervention to more than 400 people annually. This unique project is almost two years up and running and the outcome data shows that it is having a life-changing effect on participants.
Welcoming the award, Croí chairman Professor Kieran Daly said it is very significant recognition of the ground-breaking work being undertaken by Croí in heart disease prevention.
“Great praise is due to Ailbhe and her colleagues for the tremendous work they are doing in reducing the impact of heart disease on families living in County Galway.”
The “Croí MyAction Programme” is funded through the fundraising efforts of Croí with grant support from the HSE West and the pharmaceutical company Merck Sharpe Domhe.
