Experts Urge Action to Address Burden of Cardiovascular Disease During COVID-19

The European Society of Cardiology and the European Heart Network have announced a campaign urging legislators to address cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), particularly during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, as the virus places a higher burden on patients with cardiovascular health concerns.¹

The initiative, called “Fighting Cardiovascular Disease: A Blueprint for EU Action,” was announced at a virtual meeting attended by European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides and members of the European Parliament.¹

“Before the outbreak, the burden of CVD was already greater than that of any other disease and the leading cause of death in Europe and in the world,” said a press release from the European Society of Cardiology. “The pandemic will make this already gloomy scenario worse.”¹

According to the press release, nearly 13 million new cases of CVD are diagnosed annually in the European Union, accounting for approximately 20% of mortality before age 65.¹ Although the link between CVD and COVID-19 is still being investigated, the initiative did list several reasons to begin taking action early.

Current research has already found that CVD is among the most common pre-existing conditions among people who die from COVID-19, and that the virus triggers an inflammatory response that can damage the heart and blood vessels.¹ Furthermore, even among patients who are not infected with COVID-19, emergency hospital admissions for heart attacks and stroke have halved during the pandemic, resulting in many at-home deaths or increased damage to patients’ hearts and brains.¹

The initiative includes a range of actions to address these concerns, including a program spanning policy, research, and regulation. The blueprint specifies that prevention should be the top priority, in order to address all avoidable cases of CVD.² Other priorities should include innovative and modernized research regulations and improving patient care through better diagnosis, treatment, and management practices.²

“Because of the scale of the disease and the many risk factors and lifestyle determinants, cardiovascular disease is best described as a societal disease,” said European Heart Network president Floris Italianer, in a statement. “As such, effective regulation and population-wide interventions are necessary to prevent it. Improvements in cardiovascular patients’ care and treatment are also needed.”¹

REFERENCES

• The cardiovascular legacy of COVID-19: the time for the EU to act is now [news release]. European Society of Cardiology; June 25, 2020. https://www.escardio.org/The-ESC/Press-Office/Press-releases/the-cardiovascular-legacy-of-covid-19-the-time-for-the-eu-to-act-is-now. Accessed June 26, 2020.
• Fighting Cardiovascular Disease: A Blueprint for EU Action. European Society of Cardiology, European Heart Network. June 2020; https://www.escardio.org/static_file/Escardio/Advocacy/Documents/2020%20ESC-EHN-blueprint_digital%20edition.pdf. Accessed June 26, 2020.