The Nacho Barberà Memorial raises €15,500 for sudden cardiac death research

La Fe Health Research Institute (IIS La Fe) has received a donation of €15,500 from the Nacho Barberà Memorial Association, corresponding to the funds raised during 2025 and aimed at supporting research into familial cardiomyopathies and sudden cardiac death.

The contribution represents an increase of more than 50% compared to the previous year, when the donation amounted to €10,125, reflecting the association's strengthened commitment to biomedical research and the prevention of these conditions. "This has been possible thanks to the support of more collaborators, higher lottery sales, and increased fundraising at the tournament due to the participation of more teams," said Fernando Barberà, president of the Memorial.

New collaborators have joined the cause, including Susana Castillo, a nurse at a health center and author of the book Som superherois, published last year, from the proceeds of which the association receives a percentage dedicated to research. Castillo will participate by visiting schools and clubs to teach CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). "It is very important that everyone becomes aware of prevention or the appropriate response when a cardiac event occurs," Barberà emphasized, adding that he believes "other federations, in addition to football and futsal, which already do so, should include electrocardiograms in their medical check-ups."

For its part, Dr Esther Zorio, from the Familial Cardiomyopathies and Sudden Cardiac Death research group (Cafamusme) at IIS La Fe, to which these funds will be allocated, highlighted the importance of the continued support provided by the Nacho Barberà Memorial.

According to Dr Zorio, "the trust that the Association has placed in our group has been essential to advancing our research lines in familial cardiomyopathies and sudden cardiac death. Thanks to this support, we have been able to make progress in achieving earlier and more reliable diagnoses, improve personalised patient follow-up, and offer more innovative treatments through clinical trials. In addition, these contributions have been a real lifeline in sustaining the recruitment of research staff, an aspect that is often not covered by public funding and is key to keeping our scientific work active."

The Cafamusme group focuses its work on gaining a better understanding of hereditary heart diseases that can cause severe arrhythmias or sudden cardiac death, and on translating this knowledge into direct improvements in clinical care. The group is currently deepening its research into conditions such as arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and Andersen-Tawil syndrome, studying their genetic and physiological bases to refine diagnosis and identify individuals at risk even before symptoms appear.

In addition, its activity is aimed at improving available treatments through participation in clinical trials that assess more advanced therapies for different cardiomyopathies and other diseases affecting the heart muscle. Dr Zorio has pointed out that the strength of the group also lies in its ongoing collaboration with national and international teams, which helps laboratory advances reach clinical practice more quickly.

IIS La Fe highly values collaboration with social organisations committed to health research, such as the Nacho Barberà Memorial, whose support makes a significant contribution to strengthening translational research and improving care for patients and families affected by hereditary cardiomyopathies.

A new Memorial event

The collaboration between the Nacho Barberà Memorial and IIS La Fe is also reflected in the annual charity sports tournament, which constitutes one of the main sources of funding for research. In 2026, the Memorial will take place from 12 to 14 June and will once again feature the cadet category on its central Saturday, with the participation of teams from the Regional League such as Valencia CF, Levante UD and Torrent CF, along with other leading clubs.

The tournament programme will also include various grassroots and women's football categories, as well as parallel competitions in futsal, basketball, handball and martial arts, consolidating the Memorial as a large-scale social solidarity initiative that directly contributes to advancing biomedical research into cardiomyopathies and sudden cardiac death.