The 7th International Congress of Cardionephrology – KARNEF 2025 – has concluded in Pirot, bringing together over 40 speakers and around 200 participants, including doctors, pharmacists, biochemists, chemists, and biologists.

Thanks to the great effort and enthusiasm of the organizers, the excellent response from the speakers, and strong collaboration with the SLD Pirot branch and the Regional Medical Chamber for Southeastern Serbia, it can be said that the 7th International Congress of Cardionephrology was one of the best-organized international gatherings in our country. It fully met expectations, demonstrating that Cardionephrology, as a young interdisciplinary field of medicine, can be presented at a world-class level even in our region. The themes, content, and quality of the presentations were rated as excellent by both attendees and speakers.

A multidisciplinary team of distinguished experts from both Serbia and abroad shared their research. Over two days, the congress featured nine sessions, three plenary lectures, one mini-symposium, two educational seminars, two workshops, and poster presentations. A special highlight was the panel discussion that included dialysis patients, transplant recipients, and those awaiting transplants—joined also by citizens of Pirot. The discussion was led by renowned specialists in nephrology, pulmonology, cardiology, and transplant medicine.

The event once again emphasized the need for stronger and more continuous collaboration between cardiologists and nephrologists in day-to-day clinical practice—not just during academic meetings. It also pointed out the importance of including other experts, particularly those involved in basic research. Such collaboration would not only improve understanding of organ interactions and system functions in diagnosis and treatment but also contribute significantly to prevention, which is a cornerstone of modern medicine.

As a special session, the 2nd International Symposium on Arterial Hypertension – ARTHIP 2025 – was also held in Pirot. It focused on the issue of uncontrolled hypertension, one of the key causes of combined heart and kidney diseases. More than 15 works were presented, including invited lectures and independent presentations. A major contribution was the round table discussion, in which speakers and participants jointly addressed the question: Is prevention of uncontrolled hypertension a utopia or a reality?

This meeting, too, demonstrated that achieving top-tier medicine is within our reach—and that accepting challenges and turning them into reality depends solely on us.

Let this message from Hippocrates be your guiding motivation in working with the ill:

“To clarify the past, understand the present, and foresee the future – that is the task of the physician.”

Such gatherings help bring that goal closer.

SEE YOU AT KARNEF AND ARTHIP 2027!

1.Prof Dr.Robert Ekart, pozvani predavač Medicinski fakultet Univerziteta Maribor:

Draga profesorka Radenković,

Iskrene čestitke za vrhunsko,vrlo kvalitetno, strukovno izveden Kongres. Ja sam zaista uživao kad sam slušao predavače.

2.Prof. Dr Rafael Ponikvar pozvani predavač  Medicinski fakultet Univerziteta Ljubljana

Velike čestitke na izvanrednom KARNEFu i svi komplimenti tvojoj energiji i ustvarjalnosti, koja je za uzor.

Uvek mi je bilo u čast, da sam mogao biti deo KARNEFa

Puno pozdrava 

Rafael

3.Prof.dr.Milan Radović  Medicinski fakultet ,Univerzitet u Nišu Srbija

Draga prof. Sonja,

Želim da Vam čestitam na odlično organozovanom KARNEF-u ove godine, obzirom na manje povoljne okolnosti u nasoj zemlji nego ranijih godina, ali sve je bilo i vise nego perfektno.

Nadam se da sam svojim učešcem dao svoj skromni doprinos i ispunio Vasa očekivanja.

Meni je ovaj KARNEF 2025 bio vrlo inspirativan zbog tema koje ste mi zadali, ali i sam mnogo toga cuo i video počev od ekskluzivnih predavanja, upoznao brojne kolege iz inostranstva koji su zaista u vrhu evropske i svetske kardionefrologije tako da mi je ucesce u svim aktivnostima kako prijalo, tako i vrlo imponovalo.

Čak je i razgovor s gradjanstvom bio na svoj nacin inspirativan, obzirom da kao pulmolog sam imao i ja da im "ponudim" neke informacije na njihova pitanja iz mog domena.

4.Dr Ivanov Dimitar, radiolog u penziji, trenutno angažovan kao ultrasonografista u Poliklinici "Devamed" u Pirotu -učesnik sastanka

Od 29. do 31. maja ove godine, u Pirotu je održan 7. Međunarodni kongres Kardionefrologije i 2. Međunarodni simpozijum Arterijske hipertenzije

Prva impresija je vrlo visok akademski nivo predavača, koji su vodeći eksperti i referenca u svojim poljima naučnog i edukativnog delovanja.

Zadovoljstvo je bilo slušati, gledati i pratiti predavače iz mnogih  inostranih zemalja , Srbije i ex-Yu okruženja.

Organizacija skupa, tehnička podrška i prostorni ambijent su bili potpuno u skladu sa naučnim nivoom skupa, čime se Pirot, mali grad sa oko 40000 stanovnika, situiran " in the middle of the road" između dva velika univerzitetska centra (Sofija i Niš), etablira kao ozbiljno središte održavanja ovakvih skupova.

Za mene i ostale moje kolege penzionere prisustvovati ovakvom skupu je bilo nemerljivo zadovoljstvo, a za mlade kolege- izazov i podstrek kakvom nivou treba težiti.

I na kraju, spiritus movens ovog, kao i predhodnih skupova je bila Prof. Sonja Radenković, čija istrajnost, volja, energija, akademski impakt i komunikaciono umeće pleni i zadivljuje.

5.Prof.dr Ružica Maksimović pozvani predavač KC Srbije, Medicinski fakultet Univerziteta u Beogradu Srbija

Poštovana koleginice,

najpre da vam se zahvalimna ljubaznom pozivu da učestvujem na Vašem kongresu.Bilo je zaista divno,odlična organizacija i topao doček koji se više ne viđa,mnogo hvala!

6. Prof.dr.Davide Viggiani Italija-pozvani predava Medicinski fakultet Univerziteta Napulj

Dear Sonja,

The congress was very successful and quite inspiring for me. I feel deeply grateful for your gracious hospitality.

All the best,

Davide

7. Dr.Alexandros Kalifatidis pozvani predavač Klinika “Sveti Luka” Solun Grčka

✅ 7th International Congress of Cardionephrology – KARNEF 2025
29th–30th May 2025
Location: Pirot, Serbia 🇷🇸

🎤 Role:
• Speaker - Moderator

🧠 Presentation Topic:
• "Assessment of the state of perfusion of the heart
and kidneys - importance in early diagnosis and prevention"

Honored to co-moderate this very interesting EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR entitled "The role of modern “imaging” techniques in the diagnosis and treatment of heart and kidney diseases" together with Prof. Ruzica Maksimovic

🌍 Event Highlights:
• Brought together leading professionals in cardiology, clinical pharmacology endocrinology, hematology, histology, internal medicine, nephrology, pulmonology and radiology
• Featured cutting-edge research and clinical practices
• Promoted interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration
• Included participants from various countries and institutions

🤝 My Experience:
• Honored to contribute to a high-level scientific exchange
• Engaged with colleagues and experts in productive discussions
• Gained new insights and built valuable professional connections

🙏 Acknowledgment:
• Grateful to the organizers, especially to Prof. Sonja Radenković for the invitation and exceptional event coordination
• Looking forward to future collaborations in the field of cardionephrology

Dear colleagues and associates, 

It is my great pleasure and honor to invite you, on behalf of the Organizing Committee, to the twelfth meeting of the Cardionephrology Association of Serbia "KARNEF 2025". It will join two special meetings: the Seventh International Congress of Cardionephrology and the Second International Symposium on Arterial Hypertension. 

"KARNEF" is already a traditional gathering of cardiologists and nephrologists in which doctors from other specialties participate, also: physiologists, pathophysiologists, biochemists, pharmacologists, endocrinologists, pulmonologists, anesthesiologists and radiologists. The participation of pharmacists, chemists and biologists is also of great importance. A multidisciplinary approach to the problem of combined heart and kidney diseases is the only correct way that enables early detection, proper diagnosis, prevention and treatment of these conditions.

Arterial hypertension is singled out as a separate thematic entity, which even today, due to the complexity of pathophysiological events and clinical manifestations, represents a challenge for adequate treatment and prevention. It is also the main cause of multiorgan damage, primarily the heart and kidneys. 

The work of the meeting will take place through thematic sessions, plenary lectures, educational seminars, direct meetings of the participants with experts from certain scientific fields and poster sessions. More than forty lectures will be held, and the lecturers will be eminent experts from the country and abroad, which certainly indicates the importance and high scientific professional quality of the meeting.

This time too, a special session will be dedicated to presentations of works by young researchers in the field of cardionephrology and a prize will be awarded for the best work, as well as a session on experimental cardionephrology, which through basic research greatly contributes, not only to the understanding of the complex etiopathogenetic mechanisms of the interaction of the heart and kidneys, but also of other organs and organic systems.

In addition to the scientific, the meeting also has a high educational potential. Direct exchange of knowledge and experiences is the best way of learning and this is a unique school of cardionephrology, not only in our country and region, but also in Southeast Europe.

Our meeting is also a time to analyze where cardionephrology is today, what its future holds and what are the challenges and dilemmas along the way.

The role of the Serbian Cardionephrology Association in the organization of these gatherings and in continuous work on the problems of discovering the causes and adequate treatment of patients with combined heart and kidney diseases is recognized by major world associations. Since March 2016, our organization has been an associate member of the World Association of Nephrologists.

I invite you to join us, actively participate in the meeting and thus contribute to the development of this interdisciplinary branch of medicine in Serbia.

Hoping to see you soon in Pirot, I warmly greet you with a message "Learn more, work better and work for the benefit of the sick man".