Areas
Cardiovascular diseases
In the Union, cardiovascular disease accounts for more than 2 million deaths and costs the economy more than EUR 192 billion annually. Research in this area continues under Horizon 2020.
Diseases of the heart and circulatory system (cardiovascular diseases) encompass a number of specific illnesses such as coronary heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmias, stroke, arterial and pulmonary hypertension, congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathies, valvular heart disease, etc. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are one of Europe's largest health problems. Despite dramatic medical advances over the last few decades, CVD remain a leading cause of death globally and the number one cause of death in the European Union (EU). They account for 30 % of deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation and 42 % in the EU (see British Heart Foundation statistics). Fortunately, research focusing on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of CVD is moving ahead rapidly.
The objective of the EU-funded research on CVD is to advance the knowledge that will lead to an improvement in the diagnosis, prevention, treatment and monitoring of cardiovascular disease. An emphasis is placed on translational CVD research, promoting the translation of basic research discoveries into clinical applications, using broad multidisciplinary approaches.