- The Future of Heart Health in Europe: A Holistic Care Think
Tank – hosted by Daiichi Sankyo Europe – proposes strategic
recommendations for meaningful action towards a holistic approach
to cardiovascular (CV) care in Europe
- Despite being largely preventable, cardiovascular disease (CVD)
claims over 400 lives every hour across Europe and costs the EU
€282 billion annually in direct medical costs and indirect costs
including productivity loss1,2,3
- The inaugural Think Tank meeting and resulting report are part
of Daiichi Sankyo Europe’s ongoing public heart health initiative –
We Care for Every Heartbeat (WC4EHB) – to improve
understanding of cardiovascular disease (CVD), advance and share
knowledge, and inspire positive change in CV care across
Europe
Daiichi Sankyo Europe (hereafter, Daiichi Sankyo) today
announced the launch of the Future of Heart Health in Europe: A
Holistic Care Think Tank report. The report follows the
first-of-its-kind holistic care Think Tank meeting, held earlier
this year, which brought together influential representatives from
various disciplines including clinicians, patient advocates,
researchers, digital and media experts and policy specialists.
Three strategic recommendations for incorporating a holistic
approach to CV care in Europe arose from the meeting:
- Improve lifelong support and education:
- Improving lifelong support and education from a young age to
lay a strong foundation for sustained wellness; introducing
programmes in the workplace that reward physical and mental
well-being.
- Increase interdisciplinary collaboration and
communication:
- Assigning a patient case manager and embracing implementation
of artificial intelligence to improve communication and
coordination of interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Changes in health policies across Europe:
- A holistic view of CV care should be included on political
agendas at a European level. Policy changes will lead to better
access to preventative care, support for the adoption of a healthy
lifestyle, and removal of barriers to equitable healthcare.
Across Europe, CVD is responsible for the loss of 10,000 lives
every day.3 However, cardiovascular conditions are largely
preventable, and there is a growing emphasis on addressing the
burden of CVD through behavioural changes and risk factor
management. The holistic care Think Tank included experts with a
focus on behavioural and physiological factors for CVD, such as
diet, exercise, and mental health. These experts play a vital role
in raising awareness of the various aspects of CVD and, together,
can build a more holistic picture of a person’s health that goes
beyond the view of the heart alone.
"Collaborating with a diverse array of stakeholders is paramount
in adopting a truly holistic approach to heart health in Europe,”
said Berk Kiran, Vice President, Commercial Operations Europe,
Daiichi Sankyo Europe. “By harnessing the unique perspectives and
expertise of individuals across disciplines, sectors, and
backgrounds, we can help forge innovative solutions that address
the challenges facing cardiovascular health today. Together, we can
drive meaningful change and pave the way towards a healthier future
for all."
“At a political level, I think that it's time to establish
health promotion and cardiovascular prevention as a real priority,”
said Professor Hélder Dores, Cardiologist, Portugal and member of
the Think Tank. “In healthcare, I think that not only for
cardiologists but for all the professionals, it’s important to
amend how we’re determining an individual’s risk and to improve
lifestyle, because as we know, the great majority of
atherosclerotic events could be prevented if we address the
underlying risk factors.”
The inaugural Think Tank meeting and report form part of Daiichi
Sankyo’s ongoing heart health initiative: We Care for Every
Heartbeat (WC4EHB).
For further information on holistic approaches to CV health and
care in Europe and to read the full report please visit our WC4EHB
website: https://wecareforeveryheartbeat.com/.
-ENDS-
About We Care for Every Heartbeat
At Daiichi Sankyo we care for every heartbeat. Our goal is to
protect people from cardiovascular disease and help those who
suffer from it, so they can enjoy every precious moment that life
has to offer. Under the WC4EHB umbrella, Daiichi Sankyo regularly
publishes informational blogs designed to improve health literacy
and CVD care across Europe. We have conducted awareness surveys to
uncover the public perception and attitude towards heart disease.
We are working with external organisations, such as The Economist
and the European Nutrition for Health Alliance (ENHA), to better
understand the burden of CVD in Europe, and we partner with health
specialists across a range of CV-relevant professions to advocate
for greater collaboration and a holistic approach in Europe. We
have made a long-term commitment to invest and work tirelessly to
help patients and inspire positive change in CV care. For further
information on WC4EHB and our activities, visit our website:
https://wecareforeveryheartbeat.com/.
About CVD in Europe
CVD – a group of disorders affecting the heart and circulatory
system, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes – is the
primary cause of death in Europe, accounting for 45% of all deaths
in the region and responsible for more than 10,000 lives lost every
day.3,4,5,6 Furthermore, a large proportion of these deaths are
premature – occurring before the age of 65 years – with CVD
responsible for almost a quarter of premature deaths among men and
nearly a fifth among women in Europe.7 Despite its high prevalence
and burden, a lack of public awareness and gaps in understanding,
especially of CVD risk factors, may be preventing those at risk
from making positive lifestyle changes and adopting healthy habits
to help reduce their CVD risk.8
About Daiichi Sankyo
Daiichi Sankyo is an innovative global healthcare company
contributing to the sustainable development of society that
discovers, develops, and delivers new standards of care to enrich
the quality of life around the world. With more than 120 years of
experience, Daiichi Sankyo leverages its world-class science and
technology to create new modalities and innovative medicines for
people with cancer, cardiovascular, and other diseases with high
unmet medical need.
For more information, please visit www.daiichisankyo.com
References
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1 World Health Organization.
Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) Available at:
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds).
Last accessed May 2024.
2 Luengo-Fernandez, R., et al. Economic
burden of cardiovascular diseases in the European Union: a
population-based cost study. Eur Heart J. 2023. 00: 1–16.
3 Mach, F., et al. 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines
for the management of dyslipidaemias: lipid modification to reduce
cardiovascular risk: The Task Force for the management of
dyslipidaemias of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and
European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS). Eur Heart J. 2020. 41;(1):
111–188.
4 European Heart Network. European
Cardiovascular Disease Statistics 2017 edition. Available at:
https://ehnheart.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CVD-Statistics.pdf.
Last accessed May 2024.
5 European Heart Network. CVD Statistics.
Available at: https://ehnheart.org/about-cvd/the-burden-of-cvd/.
Last accessed May 2024.
6 Eurostat. Causes of death statistics.
Available at:
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Causes_of_death_statistics#Major_causes_of_death_in_the_EU_in_2020.
Last accessed May 2024.
7 European Heart Network. Fighting
cardiovascular disease – a blueprint for EU action. Available at:
https://www.escardio.org/static-file/Escardio/Advocacy/Documents/2020%20ESC-EHN-blueprint_digital%20edition.pdf.
Last accessed May 2024.
8 Daiichi Sankyo We Care for Every
Heartbeat. European Survey Report of Cardiovascular Disease –
Uncovering current public perceptions and attitudes towards
cardiovascular disease. Available at:
wecareforeveryheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/European_Survey_Report_final_approved_Jul_2022.pdf.
Last accessed May 2024.
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Gillian D’Souza Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH Senior Manager,
Public Relations, Specialty Medicines +49 1515 5195599