Brussels, 9 April 2025
The EU Structural Heart Disease (SHD) Coalition has submitted its response to the European Parliament’s Public Health Committee consultation on Women’s Health, calling for urgent EU-level measures to address persistent gender disparities in cardiovascular health and care.
The input stresses that cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death among women in the EU, with a mortality rate of 37% compared to 31% in men, as reported by the European Society of Cardiology Atlas. However, women with Structural Heart Disease—including valvular heart disease (VHD), mitral regurgitation (MR), and tricuspid regurgitation (TR)—frequently face delayed diagnosis, misdiagnosis, and reduced access to care.
Key issues highlighted in the submission include:
- Delayed Detection and Diagnosis: Gender-blind diagnostic criteria often lead to symptoms being dismissed or misattributed, resulting in later-stage diagnoses and poorer outcomes.
- Unequal Access to Treatment: Women are referred less often for timely multidisciplinary evaluation and intervention. They also face higher risks of in-hospital mortality during tricuspid valve surgery and are less likely to receive combined procedures like MR and TR repairs.
- Need for Gender-Specific Health Measures: The Coalition identifies the integration of gender-specific cardiovascular screening and early detection into the upcoming EU Cardiovascular Health Plan as a top priority.
- Underrepresentation in Research: Existing clinical trial designs predominantly rely on male models, limiting the understanding of disease progression and treatment responses in women. More inclusive trial design and research into sex-specific medication safety and effectiveness are urgently needed.
To address these critical gaps, the Coalition urges the EU to implement a series of targeted policy actions: integrate gender-specific early detection programmes into the upcoming EU Cardiovascular Health Plan; mandate the inclusion of women in clinical trials; increase funding for gender-sensitive cardiovascular research; ensure equitable access to diagnosis, specialist evaluation, and treatment; and launch tailored awareness campaigns to improve symptom recognition among women. These measures aim to reduce preventable deaths, improve long-term outcomes, and promote more inclusive, evidence-based cardiovascular care for women across Europe.
The Coalition also supports stronger EU involvement in combatting health inequalities and improving access to care, reproductive health, and prevention services, particularly through legislation and cross-border collaboration. To this end, the Coalition’s Task Force on Women’s Heart Health is working on a dedicated Call to Action to highlight the gaps in women’s cardiovascular care and propose concrete measures to tackle them.
The submission reflects the Coalition’s continued commitment to advancing equitable healthcare for women across Europe.