The headquarters of the ‘Gli amici del cuore’ association in via Zurlini in Modena was named yesterday morning after the first and historic president Gianni Spinella (photo on the right), who died on 10 February last year. Among the authorities, present for the occasion were the mayor Gian Carlo Muzzarelli, the senator Stefano Vaccari, the general director of the University Hospital company, Claudio Vagnini and the director of the Modena health district, Andrea Spanò. Well known in the city, Spinella has dedicated his entire life to health and the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Founder of the association ‘Gli amici del Cuore’, founded in Modena in 1993, he was also president of ‘Conacuore’, the coordination which brings together the membership of numerous associations which on the national territory share the prevention of cardiovascular risk, the fight against sudden cardiac death and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. “It was an important moment – explains the president of ‘Gli amici del Cuore’ of Modena, Marilena Campisi – which allowed us to pay homage to an extraordinary man. Spinella was the absolute point of reference for our association and was capable to offer notable impulses on the topic of prevention also at a national level moment, the legal situation has evolved until reaching the turning point of 2021, which envisaged the installation of these machines in public places, allowing their use by everyone. We also remember the great contribution to fight against both active and passive smoking.
For more than 30 years “Gli Amici del Cuore” has been fighting in the Modena area and its province for the prevention of cardiovascular risk. The three priority directions of the association, which currently has around sixty volunteers, are prevention, particularly primary prevention, the best possible treatment and the promotion of research for innovation.
Among the initiatives implemented are the famous fundraiser ‘The nuts of the heart’, to finance prevention and research in the field of cardiovascular diseases; again, health and safety education projects carried out in nursery, primary and lower secondary schools and prevention initiatives with mass checks for the free measurement of cholesterol, blood sugar, triglycerides and blood pressure and contextual consultations from cardiologists and dieticians .
Jacopo Gozzi
