Referring to any diseases or disorders that affect the heart and blood vessels, cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in Europe. The most common types of CVD are coronary heart disease (which can lead to heart attacks or heart failure), strokes, and aortic disease. In 2020, CVD was responsible for over 1.8 million
.
have a significant burden across the continent but are generally higher in countries located in Eastern Europe. In 2020, 67 percent of all deaths recorded in Ukraine were caused by cardiovascular disease. Likewise, in Belarus, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Romania, CVD was the cause of death in over half of all fatalities. Conversely, in Denmark and the Netherlands, these deaths comprised around a fifth of casualties.
were also found to be highest in particular in Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Georgia.
Lifestyle choices can contribute to CVD
The risk of a person developing CVD can be increased through factors such as high cholesterol, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Lack of physical activity and being overweight also contribute to poor heart health. Many of these issues are very prevalent across Europe. Although
the level of smokers has dropped in Europe in recent years, obesity is a particular problem in the continent. In most European countries, around 60 percent of men are
classed as overweight or obese as well as around 40 percent of women. The matter is most severe in Czechia with 68 percent of men reported as overweight and 49 percent of women. At the same time, over 40 percent of the
adult population was estimated to be sedentary in Germany, Italy, Malta, and Portugal. For weekly levels of physical activity to be classed as sufficient and health benefits to be substantial; an adult should undertake either at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity.
Burden of CVD
The impact of cardiovascular disease is felt immensely by administrations and health systems across the continent, both in monetary and
time costs. In 2021, it was estimated
CVD had an economic cost of 281 billion euros to the EU. The highest outlays were in hospital care (day cases and hospital admissions), informal care, and productivity losses due to premature deaths. When broken down by country, both Hungary and Poland could directly attribute nearly a fifth of their
total health expenditure to CVD and accompanying issues. The EU average was 10.6 percent of health expenditure going towards CVD. The burden of CVD was expected to get worse in the future, not only with unhealthy lifestyles, but as populations age there could be a greater number of people suffering from heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure. However, Japan is pointed as an example country that has managed to keep mortality from heart diseases relatively low despite an aging population. Whether European countries can replicate this depends on maintaining funding in health systems for treatment, but also education and influencing their citizens to live healthier lives.
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