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

Meridiano Cardio’s Paper “CARDIO-, CEREBRAL-, AND VASCULAR DISEASES A PUBLIC HEALTH PRIORITY: The Importance and Urgency of Having a National Plan” – presented at the Italian Senate

mai 12, 2023

Cardio, cerebral and vascular diseases are among the leading causes of death and disability in Europe. In Italy alone, over 9.6 million people suffer from these diseases, which account for 30% of deaths among those over 70. Additionally, the ...

New National Heart Alliance to launch new projects for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases

avril 27, 2023

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are still by far the most frequent cause of death (34.3 %) in Germany. This is well known, but too little is being done about it. Despite of the reproach of many associations and patient organisations, there is still ...

The Cardiovascular Disease Taskforce: future of digital and innovative CVD care

avril 14, 2023

The Department for Health and Social Care announced in March the UK’s first ever cardiovascular diseases prevention taskforce. Led by well-established cardiologist Professor Deanfield, the taskforce will work to produce radical approaches to diagnose ...