European Union unveils its first cardiovascular health plan The European Health Commissioner presents on Tuesday, December 16, the Safe Hearts plan, an unprecedented strategy to combat the leading cause of death in Europe, which kills 1.7 million people every year.
The plan aims to reduce premature deaths from cardiovascular diseases by 25 percent by 2035 and introduces annual checks for blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar for most adults over 25. Without action, the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is expected to increase by 90 percent and deaths by 73 percent between 2025 and 2050.
A preventable scourge in 80 percent of cases
European Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi believes this initiative comes at the right time. Cardiovascular health represents the most important public health challenge we face, he emphasizes. The European Union loses 1.7 million lives each year, perhaps unnecessarily, as 80 percent of these premature deaths are preventable.
Cardiovascular diseases affect 62 million people in the European
Union and cost the European economy more than 282 billion eurosper year. These conditions involve the heart and blood vessels, including heart attacks, strokes and heart failure. Prevention and screening at the heart of the strategy The plan focuses on prevention, early detection and treatment, targeting key risk factors such as smoking, unhealthy diets, alcohol consumption and ultra-processed foods. It leverages digital tools, big data and artificial intelligence to personalize prevention and care.
The European Society of Cardiology warmly welcomes this plan, describing it as a major achievement after years of advocacy. Its president, Professor Thomas F. Lüscher, states that early detection, timely prevention and better long-term management using artificial intelligence can significantly reduce premature cardiovascular deaths in Europe.
Significant implementation challenges
Public health organizations welcome the initiative but call for more binding measures. The European Heart Network emphasizes the importance of confronting powerful commercial interests whose practices significantly contribute to the burden of cardiovascular diseases across Europe.
The European Public Health Alliance believes the plan must go beyond its current focus on lifestyle choices and avoid relying on industry self-regulation. It calls for clear and strong legal measures, including increased taxation on alcoholic beverages and foods with low nutritional value, as well as mandatory harmonized nutritional labelling.