“The next government must take decisive action against the leading cause of death in Belgium,” says the Belgian Alliance for Cardiovascular Health (BACH) during its screening campaign. “Only now can the necessary measures be taken to reduce premature deaths by 30 percent.” More than 30 participants have committed to a cardiovascular plan, which is being called for.
A few weeks before the elections, it is not too early to warn members of the Chamber of Representatives about the danger of this ‘silent killer’ through a free screening for cardiovascular disease.
“The next government must take decisive action against the leading cause of death in Belgium,” says the Belgian Alliance for Cardiovascular Health (BACH) during its screening campaign. “Only now can the necessary measures be taken to reduce premature deaths by 30 percent.” More than 30 participants have committed to a cardiovascular plan.
Troubling trend
The increasing prevalence of risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents an urgent problem that requires immediate attention. Failure to implement appropriate measures could worsen the situation, potentially resulting in a worrying increase of more than 30,000 deaths per year and more than €4.5 billion in healthcare costs per year.
“Action is needed to reverse this trend and achieve a 30 percent reduction in premature deaths by 2030,” the Alliance emphasizes, “which means reducing the current number of annual premature deaths reduce by just over 6,000. This goal has been agreed by the European Heart Network (EHN) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and has already been approved by Belgium.”
In response to this critical issue, on April 25, the Toots Thielemans Hall in the Belgian Federal Parliament hosted a CVD screening initiative organized by BACH and supported by the Belgian Heart League (BCL). Party leaders, faction leaders and members of the House underwent medical screenings to identify risk factors associated with CVD. After the screenings, the more than 30 participants committed to a Belgian cardiovascular health plan.
Risk factors and the importance of early detection
Proactive screening and early intervention are crucial in addressing the growing burden of CVD. With more than 50,000 hospital admissions per year, early detection of risk factors allows rapid intervention, potentially preventing life-threatening cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes. Risk factors include obesity, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, hypertension, air pollution, smoking and a sedentary lifestyle, which affect not only the elderly population but also the young and active.
> Cardiovascular plan requested
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Tags: Belgian Alliance Cardiovascular Health screens parliamentarians
