Cardiovascular disease in Europe

The aim of this brief introduction to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Europe is to describe the extent and nature of the burden. The extent of the burden can be measured in different ways – not only in terms of mortality and morbidity but also in economic costs – to health services and to societies as a whole. The burden of CVD across Europe is huge but it is a burden that is greater in some parts of Europe than in others and for some socioeconomic groups more than others. It is a burden that is also changing: in some places and for some socioeconomic groups the burden is decreasing whereas in other places and for other socio-economic groups it is increasing. Only when we are clear about the nature and extent of the burden of CVD can we proceed to develop effective strategies for its prevention and treatment. This summary of the burden is based on the third edition of a compendium of statistics on CVD in Europe published by the European Heart Network [1]. This publication brings together data from all the available sources of information about the burden of CVD in Europe, including data on mortality, morbidity and economic costs; prevention, treatment and rehabilitation; the behavioural risk factors for CVD (smoking, diet, physical activity and alcohol consumption), physiological risk factors for CVD (blood cholesterol, blood pressure and body mass index) and medical conditions that increase cardiovascular risk (diabetes). It has become an indispensable resource for anybody working to reduce the burden of CVD in Europe. The sources of and methods for deriving the figures in this paper can be found in the wider publication.