The 30th Korea International Medical & Hospital Equipment Show (KIMES) was held March 13 to 16 in Seoul. As a major meeting point for medical equipment manufacturers, end users and distributors, KIMES is ideally positioned to maximize business and learning opportunities in the medical sector, serving as a hub of information exchange for the whole Asia region, including Northern and South East Asia.

Close to 1,100 suppliers were showcasing their latest innovations, led by the global brand owners such as GE, Fuji, Shimadzu, Hitachi, Siemens and Philips, over 38,350 square meters of exhibition space. Besides Korea, all the major manufacturing countries were represented, with the highest
exhibitor numbers coming from China, US, Germany and Japan (see table for complete breakdown by country).

The show was also highlighted by the increasingly important role played by Korean companies, including Samsung, Listem, JW Choongwae, DK Medical, BIT Computer and more.

The event attracted a total of over 71,000 visitors over the four days of its duration, registering a growth of 4.4% compared with last year. Organized jointly by Korea E & Ex, the Korea Medical Devices Industrial Cooperation Association and the Korea Medical Device Industry Association, KIMES is specially sponsored by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, reflecting the importance of the medical technology sector for the Korean economy.

Educational opportunities
On the learning side, 98 in-depth seminar sessions were concurrently held in the COEX Conference Center during the show. The topics covered a broad range of issues from government policies on medical devices to the latest technologies. Specific sessions were also organized for healthcare professionals and physicians.

The many advances in cardiovascular diagnostic imaging technology, interventional procedures, drug development and elucidation of risk factors have resulted in a steady reduction in deaths from cardiovascular disease in most European countries. However CVD still remains the leading cause of mortality in Europe, with an annual toll of 4.3 million deaths, and experts predict that, with the ageing population as well as lifestyle changes that are increasing the prevalence of obesity and Type 2 diabetes, we are now facing a CVD epidemic that could overwhelm our health services.
Because of effective dissemination of information on CVD, people are increasingly aware of the modifiable risk factors, which include tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption, a paucity of suitable exercise and a high fat and sugar diet. Many patients also know that statins, which reduce Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol levels, can be taken for primary prevention of CVD; some even expect these drugs on demand. Indeed over 10% of UK residents now take statins, and The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently updating its guidelines to recommend statin therapy if the assessed risk of developing CVD within 10 years is 10% (the previous guidelines stated 20%). The American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology