Population ageing is a major demographic transition, with the number of people over 60 doubling and the number of people aged 80 and over almost quadrupling in most industrialized countries between 2000 and 2040. Ageing is associated with the onset of non-communicable chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart failure, chronic kidney disease and cancer. The co-occurrence of multiple chronic diseases - multimorbidity - has been the leading cause of death in industrialized countries for a decade, but clinical practice guidelines are lacking because frail, multimorbid patients are largely excluded from clinical trials. In the 2024 edition of the symposium, we will discuss approaches to clinical decision-making for multimorbid patients with metabolic, cardiovascular, oncological and nephrological diseases - with a focus on management as individualized treatment, taking into account patients' goals and wishes. We are particularly looking forward to the keynote speeches by Prof Hans-Werner Wahl, Director of the Ageing Research Network at the University of Heidelberg, and Dr. Filippo Maria Verri from the Agaplesion Bethesda Clinic in Ulm.

We look forward to your visit

Prof. Dr. Thomas Benzing
Direktor der Klinik II für Innere Medizin, Uniklinik Köln

Prof. Dr. Stephan Baldus
Direktor der Klinik III für Innere Medizin, Uniklinik Köln

Prof. Dr. M. Cristina Polidori
Leiterin Klinische Altersforschung und Oberärztin, Universitäre Altersmedizin, Klinik II für Innere Medizin

The symposium is organized by the Departments of Internal Medicine II and III of the University Hospital of Cologne in collaboration with the Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Univ. of Cologne and CECAD - the Cluster of Excellence, Univ. of Cologne and Stiftung der Cellitinnen e.V.