Sophia Antipolis, 06 July 2005: Resulting in
a plan to promote cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention measures
across Europe, the European Commission’s (EC) Heart Health Conference
convened representatives of health ministries, national cardiac
societies, and heart foundations, and was organised by the EC’s
Directorate General Health and Consumer Protection, and the Luxembourg
Presidency in partnership with the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
While the conference’s strategy was to reiterate the importance of
conclusions from the Heart Health Council Meeting held in June 20041,
its main objective was to come away with key actions that member states
and the EC can implement to promote cardiovascular health in Europe. As
such, member states will now take back to their ministries of health
various national public health strategies. Detailed conclusions of the
conference are contained in an official document entitled the ‘Luxembourg Declaration’ (pdf).
Commenting on what needs to be done following the conference,
Luxembourg Ministry of Health Mars Di Bartolomeo said, “A long term
approach is necessary, through public health strategies which are
transparent, multisectorial and multidisciplinary, based on best
available research and scientific evidence.”
According to Professor Michal Tendera, ESC President,
“Cardiovascular disease is definitely a political problem, since more
than 40% of Europeans die of coronary artery disease, stroke and other
cardiovascular conditions. I am happy that the ESC can address this
problem together with politicians.”
The EC notes the threatening disease burden caused by CVD and notes
its preventable nature and major determinates. The EC aims to tackle
these determinates in the frame of its mandate and established
instruments.
The Heart Health Conference gathered various perspectives from
individual member states’ initiatives, the World Health Organisation’s
strategy, and the European Heart Network’s policy. The conference also
included information from the ESC’s CVD prevention initiatives Euro Action and EUROASPIRE 3 in collaboration with its newly founded branch for preventive cardiology, the European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (EACPR). The ESC’s risk assessment tool HeartScore also was covered.
*Ends*
The European Society of Cardiology (ESC)
The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) represents more than 45,000
cardiology professionals across Europe and the Mediterranean. Its
mission is to improve the quality of life of the European population by
reducing the impact of cardiovascular disease.
The ESC achieves this through a variety of scientific and
educational activities including the coordination of: clinical practice
guidelines, education courses and initiatives, pan-European surveys on
specific disease areas and the ESC Annual Congress, the largest medical
meeting in Europe. Furthermore, the ESC promotes cardiovascular disease
prevention messages to the general public, most notably during its
annual ‘For Your Heart’s Sake’ event, a fun yet educational event
offering risk assessment and prevention advice, held in parallel to the
Congress each year.
The ESC comprises 2 Councils, 4 Associations, 23 Working Groups and
49 National Cardiac Societies. Both the ESC Congress and ‘For Your
Heart’s Sake’ take place in late August/early September each year in a
European ‘Heart-Healthy City’. The next ESC Congress will be held from
3-7 September 2005 in Stockholm, Sweden.
The ESC administrative headquarters are based at the European Heart
House, Sophia Antipolis, France. For more information on the ESC,
Congress and initiatives, see www.escardio.org.