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The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Gold Medal Awards recognize and celebrate those individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to cardiovascular medicine and achieved significant advancements in the field. The ESC gold medals are presented annually to three exceptional cardiologists who will become an inspiration to future generations (Figure 1).
Milton Packer (left) pictured with ESC President Franz Weidinger at the ESC Congress 2024
Milton Packer is Distinguished Scholar in Cardiovascular Science at Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA and visiting Professor at Imperial College, London, UK. He is an internationally recognized clinical investigator who has made many seminal contributions to the field of heart failure (HF), both in shaping our understanding of the condition and developing treatments for HF. His work was fundamental to the establishment of modern therapeutic approaches to HF, including ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, angiotensin neprilysin inhibitors, and SGLT2 inhibitors. In 1992, he proposed the neurohormonal hypothesis of HF which became a foundational concept in the field and was born of his curiosity and quest to challenge the status quo in pursuit of knowledge. He has led 20 large-scale international trials of novel interventions for HF and has received many international awards in recognition of his achievements.
For over 50 years, Prof. Packer has explored the understanding and management of HF, from being the first person to propose the neurohormonal hypothesis, to leading major clinical trials in the field. When reflecting on elements that contribute to a successful career in clinical medicine and as an investigator, Prof. Packer emphasizes the importance of curiosity and critical thinking in challenging the status quo. He says: ‘It is important for physicians to ask questions and to think differently. There are so many unknowns and uncertainties, and in addition, there are many current dogmas that are likely to be wrong. We need to challenge conventional wisdom, and we need to propose alternative ways of thinking.’ He stresses that this ‘rebelliousness’ must be paired with rigorous research as this is the combination that will drive real advances in the field of cardiology.
Prof. Packer’s significant accomplishments and achievements were not pre-determined by personal privilege or advantage and are set against his ‘humble’ background as the child of Holocaust survivors who fled their native Poland and found refuge in the USA in 1947. Despite escaping with their lives from war-torn Europe, the Packer family found that it was not always easy to navigate life in post-war America where immigrants were not always welcome. Prof. Packer’s parents lacked resources to support him during his time in education and later medical school. However, he notes that: ‘Thankfully, one way or another, through the support of dedicated teachers and mentors, opportunities opened up for me, allowing me to pursue my career in medicine and research.’
Looking back over the previous five decades, Prof. Packer notes the profound changes in the field of medicine. He says: ‘Almost everything about medicine has changed. The science of medicine has advanced, but much of the art of medicine has disappeared. Medical decisions are often dominated by financial considerations.’ In the past, physicians thought of medicine as a calling but he suggests that today, for many physicians, the practice of medicine has become a small part of their identity and daily lives and as a result, many patients do not benefit from the scientific and therapeutic advances made in recent years. Despite these challenges, Prof. Packer remains hopeful that the joint efforts of scientific societies, teachers, and mentors can restore the art of medicine, allowing future generations to fully reap the rewards of progress.
Declarations
Disclosure of Interest
All authors declare no disclosure of interest for this contribution.
