Overall CVD is estimated to cost the EU economy €192 billion a year. This represents a total annual cost per capita of €3 914. Per capita costs vary over 11 fold between Member States - from around under €60/capita/year in Bulgaria to over €600/capita/year in Germany and the UK. Of the total cost of CVD in the EU, around 57% is due to direct health care costs, 21% to productivity losses and 22% to the informal care of people with CVD.
Each year, smoking kills over 1.2 million people in Europe (450 000 from CVD) and about 650 000 people in the EU (185 000 from CVD). The number of people dying in Europe from CVD due to smoking rose by 13% between 1990 and 2000.
A diet which is high in fat, salt and sugar and low in fruit and vegetables, increases the risk of CVD. If people across the EU actually consumed the minimum recommended level of fruit and vegetables, (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.
| MEP Heart Group |
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The Members of the European Parliament (MEP) Heart Group is a forum which provides MEPs with an opportunity to generate dialogue, outreach and activities at EU and Member State level. It is made up of MEPs who have an interest in promoting measures that will help reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in Europe and raise CVD as a priority on the EU political agenda. CVD is the main cause of death and disability in Europe and accounts for over 2 million deaths in the EU 27 each year, nearly half of all deaths in Europe. In response to this, the European Heart Network (EHN) and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) are committed to identifying specific areas of policies and public health interventions which can contribute to preventing avoidable deaths and disabilities from CVD. The Secretariat of the MEP Heart Group is managed by the European Heart Network and the European Society of Cardiology. |