European Heart Health Charter

Ceremony of the national launch of the European Heart Health Charter held in Hungary

A new era of the fight against cardiovascular diseases has begun on the 20th June, 2007, only 8 days after the initial launch in Brussels. The Hungarian National Heart Foundation and the Hungarian Society of Cardiologists jointly organised the first national level signature ceremony of the European Heart Health Charter. The charter was endorsed by the Minister of Health and leaders of 18 professional and civic organisations.



The roundtable of the signatories of the Charter prioritised three key areas for immediate action:

• Heart-healthy lifestyles should be incorporated into the curriculum of school education.
• Forceful regulatory and taxation measures should be implemented against active and passive smoking. Smoking should be forbidden at all workplaces.
• Appropriate incentives combined with strong media involvement are needed to reach at least the minimum recommended level of 400 g fruit and vegetable consumption for adults.

Why the Charter now?

• CVD is the number one cause of death in Europe, causing over 4.35 million deaths annually in the 53 Member States of the WHO European Region and more than 1.9 million deaths each year inthe European Union.
• CVD is estimated to cost the EU economy 169 billion euros a year.
• CVD is preventable

The European Heart Health Charter aims to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in the European population by mobilising national governments, health agencies, health professionals and public health NGOs and thus ensuring the best possible conditions to promote and preserve cardiovascular health for all European citizens.

Key figures about cardiovascular diseases in Europe

• CVD causes more than half of deaths in Europe (52%) and in the EU (42%)
• Coronary Heart Disease(CHD) remains the leading cause of mortality in men over 45 years, and in women over 65 years throughout Europe
• 51% patients had premature CHD at the time of their first clinical manifestation of CHD
• 20% of the coronary patients had previously diagnosed diabetes
• Overall CVD is estimated to cost the European Union economy 169? billion a year
• CVD is the main cause of death in women in all countries of Europe and is the main cause of death in men in all countries except France and San Marino
• Each year 450 000 people in Europe die from CVD due to smoking
• Each year 185 000 people in the EU die from CVD due to smoking
• Diets are generally improving in Northern and Western European countries, but deteriorating in Southern, Central and Eastern European countries.
• It is universally recognised that a diet which is high in fat, salt and sugar and low in complex carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables increases the risk of CVD. For instance, if people across the EU actually consumed the minimum recommended level of fruit and vegetables, i.e. 400 g/day, this could prevent 7% of CHD (coronary heart disease) and 4% of stroke, or save over 50.000 lives per year. If they consumed 600 g/day we could reduce the risk of CHD by almost 18% and stroke by over 10%, or save over 135 000 lives per year.
• Obesity levels are rising dramatically in Europe. Around a third of CHD and a fifth of stroke in the developed world is due to high levels of BMI - and almost 60% of hypertensive disease is due to high BMI.
• Over 23 million adults in the EU have diabetes, and the level is rising
• Levels of physical inactivity are high in Europe. It is estimated that over 20% of CHD and 10% of stroke in the developed world is due to physical inactivity

More about the Charter in English at:
www.heartcharter.eu

© MNSZA
2007-06-25 | Refreshed: 2009-11-11 12:14