Living with cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the EU. In 2022 it was responsible for one in three deaths and affects over 62 million people, with profound impacts on people’s daily lives. The OECD Patient-Reported Indicator Surveys (PaRIS) captured data on over 100 000 primary care users aged 45 years and older, offering a unique patient centred perspective on health and care delivery for people living with chronic health conditions. The findings show that people living with CVD report significantly lower well-being, poorer physical and mental health, and reduced social functioning compared to those without CVD. They are also nearly twice as likely to visit emergency departments or be hospitalised. While most patients with CVD require complex treatments due to having additional chronic conditions that require multiple medications, fewer than half report having a care plan, a key tool for improving care co-ordination. Preventive lifestyle counselling remains limited despite the high burden of modifiable risk factors – such as low physical activity, unhealthy diets, and tobacco and alcohol use – on CVD mortality.