Our Hospital's Cardiomyopathy Center Makes Debut on the "Great Wall Congress" Stage, Showcasing Gansu's Leading Achievements in Fabry Disease Screening

Recently, the Great Wall International Congress of Cardiology (GW-ICC) and Asia Heart Society (AHS), the largest and most influential international cardiovascular conference in Asia, was grandly held in Beijing. Wu Chengbin, Director of the Department of Geriatrics and head of our hospital's Cardiomyopathy Center, represented our hospital at this top-tier academic platform, marking the first time our hospital has participated in academic exchange at this level. This signifies that our hospital's achievements in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac rare diseases and hereditary cardiomyopathies, particularly in Fabry disease screening, have gained widespread recognition from domestic peers.

At this congress, Director Wu Chengbin shared valuable experiences and data from our hospital in the precise diagnosis of cardiomyopathy and Fabry disease screening, communicating and exchanging screening experiences with leading figures in the domestic cardiomyopathy field. Fabry disease is a rare X-linked hereditary lysosomal storage disorder. It often presents initially with symptoms such as myocardial hypertrophy, heart failure, and proteinuria, and is highly susceptible to misdiagnosis as common hypertensive heart disease or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

The Cardiomyopathy Center at our hospital has implemented the China Red Cross Foundation's "Shout for Love" public welfare project, providing free screening for high-risk patients. It took the lead in the province in systematically carrying out Fabry disease screening and has successfully screened and diagnosed multiple patients. The number of samples sent for testing leads the nation, and the number of positive patient detections ranks second in Gansu Province, currently placing us at a leading level within our province.

This inaugural presentation at the "Great Wall Congress" is not only an honor for the individual and department but also a reflection of the continuous improvement in the hospital's overall medical technical capabilities and scientific research innovation capacity. The Cardiomyopathy Center will continue to dedicate itself to promoting the standardized diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases in our city, enabling more "hidden" Fabry disease patients to be detected, diagnosed, and treated early, contributing to the construction of "Healthy Gansu."

What kind of patients are considered high-risk? Patients meeting one or more of the following criteria are eligible for free testing:

● Unexplained left ventricular hypertrophy indicated by cardiac ultrasound (especially in young patients);

● Heart failure unexplained by common causes;

● Arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation or bradycardia indicated by electrocardiogram (ECG);

● Family history of unexplained sudden death;

● Proteinuria or chronic renal insufficiency appearing at a young age, or patients on dialysis;

● Accompanied by episodic limb pain (acroparesthesia, burning pain in extremities), hypohidrosis or anhidrosis;

● Corneal verticillata or typical angiokeratomas on the skin.

Early identification and testing are key to improving the prognosis of Fabry disease patients. For patients with the following symptoms, high vigilance is warranted. Screening requires only 0.5ml of venous blood.

Department Introduction

Our hospital's Department of Geriatrics was established as an independent department in 2023, with 20 open beds. In March 2023, it was awarded the "Municipal Center for the Cardiomyopathy Specialist Alliance" by the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases. It has established the "Gansu Province Close-knit Specialist Alliance for Pulmonary Circulation and Right Heart Diseases" with Gansu Provincial Hospital, and the "Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Geriatrics Medical Consortium." In 2024, it was designated as a "Geriatric Nutrition Demonstration Ward" by the Gansu Provincial Health Commission and appointed as a "Cooperating Unit for High-Risk Fabry Disease Patients" by the China Red Cross Foundation. In 2025, it became the "Lead Hospital for the Hypertension Standardized Management Center." It is also the only public hospital palliative care center in our city. The department currently has 1 associate chief physician, 4 attending physicians, and 1 rehabilitation therapist. Its specialties cover cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, neurological, renal, endocrine, and oncology internal medicine, possessing the comprehensive treatment advantages of various internal medicine specialties. It can provide "one-stop" treatment for multiple diseases in the elderly, such as hypertension and diabetes, and can also treat and manage geriatric syndromes and common geriatric issues like sleep disorders, dizziness, constipation, frequent urination, and loss of appetite. Based on the actual situation of elderly patients, comprehensive assessments such as nutritional risk screening, CGA, and frailty assessment are provided. Simultaneously, the Department of Geriatrics offers acupuncture, cupping, and physical therapy.

Associate Chief Physician Wu Chengbin's Outpatient Schedule:

Tuesday, Thursday: Main Hospital, Outpatient Room 325

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Heavy Ion Hospital, Outpatient Room 206A

Inpatient Department Address: First Floor, Building 9, Heavy Ion Campus