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 overarching goal of the SHD Coalition is to work towards prioritising Structural Heart Disease in the implementation of the EU Safe Hearts Plan from early detection to referral and treatment pathways. The activities have an emphasis SHD detection embedded in EU Health Check protocol, secure EU investment on SHD for screening initiatives and patient referral/treatment pathways. This will require political prioritisation at the EU level as well as strong national support across EU Member States.

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

EU Call to Action

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

Our Call to Action

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

Delivering Impact: How the EU Safe Hearts Plan can Transform Structural Heart Disease Care

February 24, 2026

As the European Union moves towards implementing the Safe Hearts Plan, the moment has come to turn ambition into action. Structural Heart Disease (SHD) remains underdiagnosed and unevenly treated across Europe. If fully leveraged, the Safe Hearts...

Andalusia Launches DETECT-SHD: A European Model for Early Detection of Structural Heart Disease

October 16, 2025

Córdoba, September 2025 — The Institutional Launch of the DETECT-SHD Project marked a pivotal step in the fight against Structural Heart Disease (SHD) in Europe. Conceived in Andalusia, Spain, the pilot project seeks to detect valvular diseases...

PRESS RELEASE: EU SHD Coalition calls for dedicated focus on Structural Heart Disease and cardiovascular prevention in the 2026 EU4Health Work Programme

October 13, 2025

The EU Structural Heart Disease (SHD) Coalition welcomes the European Commission’s open consultation for the 2026 EU4Health Work Programme and urges the European Commission to make cardiovascular health a central priority of the 2026 EU4Health Work...