Tackling cardiovascular health inequalities in European countries

Data on life expectancy at birth for both men and women show substantial differences between European countries. Countries in Eastern Europe have a much lower life expectancy compared with the rest of Europe. Considering the 2008–2017 averages, there was a difference of almost 9 years between the countries with the lowest and highest life expectancy: 73.9 years in Latvia compared to 82.7 years in Spain.1 Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of death in Europe where it is responsible for approximately 4 million deaths yearly (about 45% of the total deaths). Reducing the rates of CVD means increasing overall survival in Europe. Reducing cardiovascular health inequalities fundamentally means “increasing the power among people with the most limited possibilities of controlling and influencing their own life and society”.