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.

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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

READ MORE ABOUT STRUCTURAL HEART DISEASE

THE CASE FOR EARLY DETECTION OF STRUCTURAL HEART DISEASE: WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO IMPLEMENT SHD SCREENING PROGRAMS IN EUROPE

Structural heart diseases (SHD) are set of cardiovascular diseases affecting the structure of the valves, atria, ventricles, and blood vessels in the heart. The majority of these conditions are degenerative, which means that they primarily affect the elderly. It is estimated that 14 million people in Europe were living with SHD in 2020, and that by 2050, this cipher will increase to 23 million.

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Created by SHD Coalition

The efforts of the EU SHD Coalition recognised in Spanish media

Dr. Jorge Solís Martín, coordinator of the departments of cardiac imaging and valvular heart disease at the University Hospital 12 de Octubre in Madrid, writes an article about why valvular heart disease is an increasing public health threat in the Spanish schedule and how the coalition has helped focus institutional attention on these conditions.

 

In a blog in Elconfidencial's Aliments, Dr.…

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Created by SHD Coalition

State of play of SHD in Spain – Interview with our experts Prof .Rodriguez-Roda Stuart and Prof. José Luis Zamorano-Gomez

Members of the Coalition, as well as eminent and recognised experts on SHDs in Spain, Prof. Rodriguez-Roda Stuart and Prof. José Luis Zamorano-Gomez provide their view on the situation of SHD care in Spain and on the political stakes to act towards better detection and prevention on SHD.

 

 

Prof. José Rodriguez-Roda Stuart is Head of the Cardiovascular Surgery Unit at Hospital Ramón y Cajal…

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