Tackling the burden of structural heart disease:

A European coalition

Welcome to the Structural Heart Disease Coalition website

Structural heart diseases are structural abnormalities of the heart leading to impaired functioning that can affect the heart’s valves, walls, muscles, and blood vessels. They are a form of cardiovascular disease and currently affect around 14 million people in Europe, creating a significant burden for the people suffering from the disease as well as the wider economy and society.

The Structural Heart Disease Coalition (SHD Coalition) is a European network that brings together experts including key opinion leaders, politicians, and patients to work together to ensure that policy on SHD is prioritised.

The initial goal of the SHD Coalition is to work towards a European Joint Action on Structural Heart Disease with an emphasis on early diagnosis and equal access to care, and treatment for people of all ages. This will require political prioritisation at the EU level as well as strong national support.

Launched in March 2021, this website showcases the various actions undertaken by the Coalition at both EU level and in countries and provides information about SHD and its impact.

Did you know?

One of the main types of SHD has a worse prognosis than some metastatic cancers. If not treated properly, 1 out of 2 diagnosed patients will die after 2 years. After 3 years, this increases to 2 out of 3 patients

The difference between having structural heart disease and being disease-free lies in being able to live a fully independent life – and not being able to make it up a flight of stairs

The 2019 European Heart Health Survey revealed that there is a significant lack of awareness about structural heart diseases, with only 6% of respondents able to describe the condition

40 % of individuals in the EU believe that age discrimination is widespread in their country; In structural heart disease this translates into lack of access to diagnosis, treatment and care. For example: Only 28% of 65+ people in Europe have their heart checked at every GP visit

Manifesto

The EU SHD Coalition is advocating for future EU policy makers to tackle the burden of structural heart disease.

Our Manifesto

The EU SHD Coalition is advocating for future EU policy makers to tackle the burden of structural heart disease.

World Heart Day: How is the world doing on tackling CVDs?

October 15, 2024

Cardiovascular Diseases: A Growing Public Health Crisis Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death in the European Union (EU), affecting over 13 million people annually and causing around 1.7 million deaths each year — roughly...

The EU SHD Coalition calls on EU member states to pave the way for an EU Cardiovascular Health Plan and access to early detection of heart diseases!

October 8, 2024

As discussions around the Council of the EU’s conclusions on cardiovascular health continue, the EU Structural Heart Disease (SHD) Coalition urges decisive action to prioritize cardiovascular health across Europe. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are...

Conference held in Rome to present Bills aimed at establishing a heart disease prevention programme for people over 70

September 26, 2024

Today, September 26, 2024, in the Press Room of the Chamber of Deputies, we hosted the conference “Heart Health Focus: Prevention at the Core of Patient Care“, on the occasion of World Heart Day. The event provided an opportunity to...