Strengthening health checks for the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. In the European Union, they account for one in three deaths and costing EUR 282 billion annually. Health checks can strengthen the early detection and management of CVDs and their risk factors when appropriately targeted and linked to effective follow-up care. Yet access, uptake and implementation remain uneven across countries. Drawing on cross-country comparable data and examples of national policies and programmes from OECD countries, this brief identifies five policy considerations for strengthening cardiovascular health checks: improving access, increasing awareness and uptake among high-risk populations, strengthening health data and digital infrastructure, integrating health checks into coordinated care pathways, and ensuring cost-effective programme design. Together, these priorities can help policymakers strengthen cardiovascular prevention, reduce health inequalities and improve long-term population health.