The Spanish Heart Foundation (FEC) and the Spanish Society of Cardiology (SEC) have launched an urgent appeal for the creation of a European cardiovascular health strategy to put the prevention on the current health policy agenda in the European Union.
During the ‘For the heart of Europe’ conference, held at the headquarters of the European Parliament in Spain on the occasion of the World Heart Day (which is commemorated this Sunday, September 29), both entities stressed the importance of addressing this challenge at the community level. The event, which had the collaboration of the Novartis pharmaceuticalallowed us to take stock of the progress towards this necessary European Cardiovascular Health Strategy.
The figures reflect the magnitude of the challenge: more than 1.7 million people died in 2021 in Europe due to cardiovascular diseasesaccording to data from Eurostat. In Spainthis cause caused more than 120,000 deaths in 2022which means 26.1% of total deathsaccording to the National Institute of Statistics (INE). However, and despite its high incidence, the World Health Organization estimates that the 80% of these premature deaths could be prevented with appropriate measures.
He president of the FEChe Dr. Andrés Íñiguezemphasized the need for rethink the approach of these pathologies: “We must move from a model focused on the treatment to another based on the preventionpromoting healthy lifestyles since childhood,” he said. This change of focus It is essential to stop the advance of diseases that, although well known, continue to have a devastating impact.
In this sense, Spain is located at vanguard with his Cardiovascular Health Strategy of the National Health Systema pioneering plan in Europe and unique in its kind, whose objective is to improve the cardiovascular health of the population with a comprehensive approach that ranges from promotion of healthy habits until the primary care. “Despite being an ambitious project, there is still much to do in its implementation,” acknowledged the Dr. José Tuñónmember of SEC Executive Committee. “Our challenge is apply in practice what we already know in theory, because risk factors in the Spanish population they still show a wide margin for improvement,” he added.
The meeting also had the participation of several MEPswho addressed the need to establish a common framework at European level. “In it European Parliament we are promoting a cardiovascular health strategy that allows reduce inequalities between countries and improve quality of life of the citizens,” he explained Susana Solisgroup MEP PPE. The preventionas he stressed, must be the central axispromoting programs of awareness and primary screening for detect in time the risk factors.
For his part, the MEP José Cepeda (S&D) stressed the importance of a broader focus that also contemplates the around: “We must design cities that promote the physical activity and reduce the consumption of harmful products. It is not just about health policies, but about create healthy environments”, he asserted. Margaret of PisaMEP from PfEadded that compare results between countries can help identify which small actions have produced the best results, laying the foundation for a collaborative effort similar to that developed in fight against cancer.
For its part, Calvente Nativitydirector of Novartis Spain Public Affairsfocused on the importance of know the cardiovascular risk of each person: “The prevention of cardiovascular diseases must be a priority for the entire society. We cannot forget the secondary prevention For those who have already suffered a cardiovascular eventensuring they receive a proper follow-up that minimizes the risk of recurrence”.
A cost of 210,000 million
In 2022, In our country, 121,341 people died from this causerepresenting 26.1% of the total deaths, according to the latest complete data from the National Statistics Institute. These figures reflect a large-scale problem that affects people of all ages and genders, although it is more prevalent in those over 65 years of age. Cardiovascular diseases are not only a public health challengebut also a important economic problem. According to the Spanish Heart Foundation, the economic cost of these diseases in the European Union amounts to 210,000 million euros annually. Of this total, 53% corresponds to direct health care expenses, while 26% is attributed to loss of productivity due to disabilities, early retirement and absences from work, and the remaining 21% is due to the costs of care. informal provided by family members and caregivers.
Population aging
Another relevant aspect is the aging of the population, a phenomenon that increases the prevalence of these diseases. According to INE projections, By 2050 more than 30% of the Spanish population will be over 65 years oldwhich could exacerbate the burden of cardiovascular diseases in the coming decades. Therefore, the prevention of these diseases is a priority objective for public health policies worldwide. Risk factors such as smoking, sedentary lifestyle, obesity and hypertension contribute greatly to its appearance. According to the World Health Organization, 80% of premature deaths from cardiovascular diseases could be avoided by adopting healthy lifestyle habits.