The Montenegrin Association for Vascular Health and Ageing has recently been established with the aim of promoting research, education, and interdisciplinary collaboration in the field of vascular health and healthy ageing in Montenegro. The association seeks to bring together clinicians, researchers, and healthcare professionals from different medical disciplines involved in cardiovascular, renal, metabolic, and ageing-related health.
The association is led by Dr Vladimir Prelević, nephrologist and expert in arterial hypertension, kidney transplantation, and acute kidney disease, who serves as its president. Dr Prelević works at the Clinic for Nephrology of the Clinical Centre of Montenegro in Podgorica, where he is also Head of the Hemodialysis Centre. Since October 2024, he has also been involved in teaching activities at the Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montenegro.
Dr Prelević graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Montenegro, and completed his specialization in nephrology in 2023 at the Department of Nephrology, Arterial Hypertension, Dialysis and Kidney Transplantation at the University Hospital Centre Zagreb (Rebro), one of the leading kidney transplant centres within the Eurotransplant network and an accredited Centre of Excellence of the European Society of Hypertension.
He obtained his PhD from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Zagreb in December 2024 with a doctoral thesis entitled “Vascular Stiffness and Target Organ Damage in Treated Hypertensive Patients.” His research and clinical interests include arterial hypertension, kidney transplantation, acute kidney injury, and diabetic kidney disease. During the early stages of his career, Dr Prelević actively contributed to the development and implementation of the kidney transplantation programme in Montenegro. He also participated in the HERIC research project “HLA in Montenegro”, which resulted in the establishment of the first accredited HLA laboratory in the country.
Dr Prelević is a member of the Montenegrin Medical Chamber and the Croatian Medical Chamber, as well as several professional associations, including the Croatian Hypertension League, the Croatian Society for Kidney Diseases, the European Renal Association (ERA), and the European Society of Hypertension (ESH). He has presented his work at numerous regional and international scientific meetings and is the author and co-author of several scientific publications indexed in international journals.
The newly established Montenegrin Association for Vascular Health and Ageing aims to strengthen national and international cooperation in research and clinical practice related to vascular health and healthy ageing, while contributing to the broader scientific network supported by the International Society of Vascular Health and Ageing (ISVH).