28.09.12
Heart death drops across Europe
There has been a significant drop in mortality from heart disease and stroke, but the scale of the problem is still huge and will increase, according to latest statistics.
On World Heart Day, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Heart Network (EHN) have published the latest statistics since the 2008 overview of the impact of cardiovascular disease (CDV).
CDV is now responsible for four million deaths annually across Europe, down from 4.3 million in 2008. Within the EU, it led to 1.8 million deaths, down from 2 million.
The economic burden of CDV is estimated at €196bn a year, 54% of which is direct health expenditure, 24% from productivity losses and 22% for the informal care of people with CVD.
The drop in mortality was linked to a range of factors, including steps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and fewer people smoking. The majority of CDV related deaths are preventable and further improvements in healthy lifestyles are needed to control the scale of the problem.
The ESC and EHN care calling for investment into prevention to stop CVD increasing.
ESC president, Prof Panos Vardas said: “There is good news here, but it needs to be approached with some caution. Fewer lives are being lost to cardiovascular disease than in 2008. At the same time, the scale of the problem is enormous. CVD is still responsible for four million European deaths per year. This is a real human tragedy and a significant economic burden. We anticipate this burden will continue to increase in the coming years due to ageing populations and unhealthy lifestyles.”
Dr. Hans Stam, president of the EHN, said: “This reduction in CVD mortality is a real success story. A few years ago it seemed that the rise in cardiovascular disease was unstoppable; this report shows that we have reversed that trend, and that lives are being saved.
“We know that there are potential problems ahead. Diabetes and obesity are rising, smoking is still a major issue, and people are still not doing enough physical activity. The continent is also growing older. Today’s figures are good, very good, but they must not lead to complacency”.
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