The Heart Institute of the Caribbean (HIC) is presenting groundbreaking Jamaican research at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2026, which began last Friday in Munich, Germany.

Recognised as the world’s largest and most influential cardiovascular meeting, ESC Congress 2026 has brought together more than 30,000 clinicians, researchers and journalists from more than 150 countries. HIC, in a release, said its selection for the global platform represents significant international recognition of Jamaican-led medical research and innovation.

The studies — including research arising from Hurricane Melissa, an innovative cloud-based ECG (electrocardiogram) network and a major analysis of coronary artery disease in Afro-Caribbean patients — place Jamaican-generated evidence before the global cardiovascular community.

“This is an important moment for Jamaican medicine,” said Professor Ernest Madu, founder, chairman and CEO of HIC. “Our research demonstrates that Jamaica can produce globally relevant evidence and develop practical solutions to improve access, save resources and build a stronger, more resilient health-care system.”

HIC said its Hurricane Melissa Study examined the cardiovascular health of Jamaicans affected by the October 2025 disaster. The analysis compared 100 hurricane survivors with 400 controls and found a greater burden of hypertension and diabetes among survivors, together with higher systolic blood pressure.

The findings, according to HIC, highlight how disasters can aggravate chronic diseases by disrupting access to medications, medical care, electricity, transportation, nutritious food, and safe shelter. They support incorporating blood pressure monitoring, medication continuity and chronic disease management into national disaster preparedness and recovery programs.

“Hurricane resilience must include health-care resilience,” Professor Madu said. “Emergency response cannot end with rescue and reconstruction. We must also protect vulnerable patients whose hypertension, diabetes and heart disease may worsen during and after a disaster.”

The study has particular relevance for Jamaica and other Caribbean states facing increasingly severe climate-related emergencies, the release said.

Also presenting results from a cloud-based ECG reporting programme developed to address delays in cardiac diagnosis in rural Jamaica, HIC said during the 15-week pilot, more than 530 ECGs were transmitted securely and interpreted by credentialed physicians and cardiovascular specialists. Average reporting time fell from approximately 30.5 days under the traditional mobile-service pathway to about 1.5 days — a reduction of approximately 95 per cent.

It said the cloud-based programme was more than 20 times faster and reduced the cost per ECG from US$22.49 to US$14.46.

If expanded to 300,000 ECGs annually, HIC said the model could potentially save approximately US$2.41 million per year; eliminate an estimated 8.68 million patient days of diagnostic delay; and support earlier recognition of heart attacks, dangerous heart rhythms and other cardiovascular conditions.

“This model can help ensure that a patient’s location does not determine how quickly a potentially life-threatening heart condition is identified,” Professor Madu said. “It offers Jamaica a scalable way to connect rural communities with specialist expertise while freeing scarce resources for medicines, emergency transportation, staffing, and prevention.”

The programme could be expanded nationally and adapted for other Caribbean countries facing specialist shortages, geographic barriers and unequal access to diagnostic services, the release said.

Meanwhile, its third study on the agenda analysed 2,410 coronary angiograms performed in Jamaica between 2006 and 2024 — said to be one of the largest real-world analyses of coronary disease patterns in an Afro-Caribbean population.

Coronary artery disease was identified in 68.7 per cent of angiograms and was frequently obstructive. Hypertension affected 66.5 per cent of patients with coronary disease, while diabetes and abnormal cholesterol levels were also common.

HIC said the study addresses the longstanding under-representation of Afro-Caribbean populations in cardiovascular research and provides evidence that can support more appropriate prevention, risk assessment, treatment and health system planning for the region.

According to the release, HIC’s research was conducted with collaborators from Yale School of Medicine and other international institutions. Its presentation before more than 30,000 cardiovascular professionals, researchers and journalists reflects growing international recognition of HIC’s leadership in patient-centred care, research, education, innovation and advocacy, the release added.

“For too long, Caribbean populations have been under-represented in the evidence guiding global cardiovascular care,” Professor Madu said. “HIC is helping to change that by studying the realities of our communities, developing solutions in Jamaica and bringing Caribbean evidence to the world

“These presentations are not only an achievement for HIC; they are an achievement for Jamaica. They show what is possible when high-quality patient care is combined with research, scholarship, innovation, and a sustained commitment to improving lives,” he said.

The European Society of Cardiology Congress 2026 wraps up on Monday.