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September 29, 2023
ESC Launches New European Heart Health Charter
September 29, 2023—The European Society of Cardiology and European Heart Network have launched the European Heart Health Charter in conjunction with World Heart Day.
© ESC and EHN
The charter emphasizes the importance of a coordinated strategy across all policy sectors to prevent the onset of the disease, save lives, and enhance the well-being of citizens. Cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the leading cause of death globally, costs the European Union (EU) economy €282 billion per year, noted the ESC.
According to the ESC, the goal of the European Heart Health Charter is to improve cooperation at national, European, and international levels. It promotes cardiovascular health in all policies and demonstrates what policymakers, medical professions, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and national and international institutions can do to address and reverse the burden of disease.
The 2023 version of the European Heart Health Charter—revised from 2007 version—expands upon the scope of the earlier version and considers progress made over the last decades in prevention, patient care, treatment, and research. It emphasizes that a coordinated European strategy is crucial for improving cardiovascular health.
ESC and the European Heart Network invite concerned European and international organizations, health NGOs, medical professions, and representatives of academia to sign up to the 2023 European Heart Health Charter and commit to its goals and policy proposals.
The Charter recommends that all signatories promote and support the creation of a strong collaborative framework to reduce the number of premature and preventable fatal and nonfatal CVD events in the EU and the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region countries by one-third, in line with the United Nations and WHO Sustainable Development Goal target of good health and well-being, stated the ESC press release.
The Charter states, in part, the following:
“Despite significant advancements in cardiovascular medicine, CVD remains the leading cause of death in Europe and worldwide. In the WHO European Region, 47% of deaths among women and 39% among men are caused by CVD. Premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases is primarily due to CVD mortality, which varies significantly within and across countries and population groups. Hypertension is a key biological risk factor for CVD but often goes undetected, untreated, or uncontrolled.
“CVD is also a major cause of disability and reduced quality of life, impacting the lives of some 60 million people who live with CVD in the EU.
“COVID-19 has shown the danger of underdiagnosed and chronic CVD. People with CVD are among those most affected by COVID-19, not only in terms of their risk of developing severe forms of the disease and its complications but also in terms of their quality of life. CVD remains the number one long-term consequence of COVID-19. Unfortunately, policymakers have not taken action to address this issue adequately.
“It is increasingly recognized that CVD can affect anyone at any age, and its impact extends beyond healthcare and reaches into our economies and entire societies. CVD acts as both a driver and mirror of major inequalities and inequities across geographies, genders, and generations. As we move towards a more holistic understanding of cardiovascular health as opposed to CVD, we must recognize that effectively tackling the burden of CVD requires going beyond health policy, as CVD is influenced by and affects all aspects of our lives such as education, employment, and environment among the others.”
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