On 15 December, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published its report on “The State of Cardiovascular Health in the European Union”. The report shows that cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death and disability across the EU, accounting for one in three deaths and costing an estimated €282 billion annually. Despite decades of progress, improvements have slowed and, in some countries, reversed (particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic). The report highlights stark regional and socio-economic inequalities, with Central and Eastern Europe bearing the greatest burden. It calls for urgent action to scale up prevention, strengthen early detection, improve care integration, and leverage digital health technologies. The report also has explicit mentions of cardiomyopathies. To recall, Cardiomyopathies Matter engaged with the OECD during the early stages of the preparation of the report.
Read the report here.
