The new EU CVD Health plan: A shared commitment to improving cardiovascular health
On 15 September 2024, iCARE4CVD contributed to the European Commission’s call for evidence on the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan, calling for personalised medicine to be placed at the centre of the EU’s cardiovascular strategy.
The consortium submitted 5 evidence-based recommendations calling for a Europe-wide ecosystem for personalised cardiovascular medicine, better integration of biomarkers and personalised tools into routine care, support for implementation of the European Health Data Space (EHDS), increased investment in research and real-world implementation, and a stronger focus on patient-centred cardiovascular care.
With the new EU Cardiovascular Health Plan – Safe Hearts – now published, iCARE4CVD welcomes the strong alignment between the Plan’s priorities and the recommendations put forward by the consortium, confirming a shared commitment to more personalised, data-driven and patient-centred cardiovascular care across Europe.
The 3 pillars of the new EU Cardiovascular Health plan
The EU Cardiovascular Health Plan sets out a coordinated framework to address the growing burden of cardiovascular disease, which affects more than 62 million people across Europe. The Plan is structured around three core pillars:
- Stronger prevention, promoting a life-course approach to reducing cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, obesity and hypertension, and supporting national cardiovascular health planning
- Earlier detection and screening, including a new EU protocol for cardiovascular health checks, awareness campaigns and outreach initiatives to support earlier identification of individuals at risk, including those with elevated Lp(a), familial hypercholesterolaemia or heart failure risk.
- Improved treatment and long-term care, focusing on more consistent use of clinical guidelines, wider deployment of digital health tools, integrated care models, rehabilitation and mental health support.
Across all three pillars, the Plan places increasing emphasis on data integration, personalised approaches and coordinated care, reflecting key priorities highlighted by iCARE4CVD.
A Digital and Data-Driven Future for CVD Care
Personalised cardiovascular care cannot scale in Europe without shared data, interoperability and clear frameworks for data use. In its submission, iCARE4CVD called for a Europe-wide ecosystem enabling secure cross-border use of health data and effective implementation of the European Health Data Space (EHDS) as a foundation for predictive and personalised cardiovascular care.
The EU Cardiovascular Health Plan responds by placing strong emphasis on digital health and artificial intelligence within cardiovascular care. It commits to improving interoperability and data integration, including the identification of a common set of cardiovascular data parameters by 2030.
A central action is the launch of a EUR 20 million innovation incubator to accelerate the deployment and application of AI and data-driven tools for early detection, personalised prevention and integrated care for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. The Plan also foresees the publication of a blueprint for AI deployment in cardiology, providing guidance on validation, clinical integration and monitoring of AI tools in clinical practice.
Strengthening Research and Cross-Border Collaboration
Another key recommendation from iCARE4CVD was the need for sustained EU investment in research and implementation of personalised medicine approaches in CVD. Closing the cardiovascular research and innovation gap requires a coordinated European research agenda, supported by funding for studies that validate biomarker- and AI-driven models in real-world clinical settings. iCARE4CVD also emphasised the importance of including women and high-risk groups to address persistent inequalities in cardiovascular research and care.
The EU Cardiovascular Health Plan addresses this with significant research investment through the draft Horizon Europe Work Programme. This includes EUR 65 million for innovative cardiovascular and diabetes interventions—particularly digital and AI-based approaches—as well as funding for dietary research, decentralised clinical trials and cross-disease research under the European Partnership for Personalised Medicine. The Commission also highlights the importance of collaboration through new expert networks, thematic platforms and evidence-sharing mechanisms to support consistent implementation across Member States.
A Shared Vision for the Future of Cardiovascular Health
By combining prevention, early detection, innovation and coordinated care, the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan represents a major step toward improving outcomes for people at risk of or living with CVD. Its focus on data integration, personalised approaches and collaborative research resonates strongly with ongoing initiatives across Europe – such as iCARE4CVD – that seek to modernise cardiovascular health systems and deliver more precise, equitable and effective care.
As Europe embarks on this new phase of coordinated action on cardiovascular health, iCARE4CVD stands ready to support policymakers, clinicians and patient communities in delivering a more personalised, patient-centred cardiovascular prevention and care.
Read new Safe Hearts Plan👉 https://health.ec.europa.eu/publications/communication-eu-cardiovascular-health-plan-safe-hearts-plan_en
Read iCARE4CVD’s full submission👉 https://icare4cvd.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/iCARE4CVD_EHP_submission_2025.pdfhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010482525010960
