Last week, the House Public Health Committee approved a resolution aimed at increasing awareness about atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) . These diseases are responsible for 85% of cardiovascular deaths. Despite their considerable impact, Belgium still does not have a structured approach to counter them.
The motion for a resolution, tabled by Nathalie Muylle, Daniel Bacquelaine, Jean-François Gatelier, Irina De Knop and Kathleen Depoorter, including amendments from Irina De Knop, Dominiek Sneppe and Katleen Bury, was adopted unanimously.
The text highlights the urgency of treating ASCVD in Belgium, which weighs heavily on public health and the economy. In 2019, these pathologies, resulting from atherosclerosis, were responsible for 85% of cardiovascular diseases and 21.3% of deaths. The document highlights the absence of a national action plan, like those existing for cancer or diabetes, despite the scale of the problem.
Key points of the resolution:
- Significant impact : ASCVD represents a cost of 5 billion euros per year and affects 750,000 Belgians, a figure underestimated due to late diagnoses.
- Risk factors : High LDL cholesterol is the leading cause, followed by obesity, diabetes, smoking and unhealthy lifestyle.
- Gender differences : Men are more at risk, but women die more often, in part because of underestimated symptoms and inappropriate treatments.
- Lack of data : Accurate and up-to-date information on the prevalence and impact of ASCVD is needed.
- Multidisciplinary approach : Coordination between all healthcare providers via uniform guidelines is essential.
- Awareness and prevention : Intensive campaigns, focusing on healthy diet, exercise and risk management from an early age, are essential.
- European framework : Belgium wants to include ASCVD on the EU agenda.
Main recommendations:
- Develop a national action plan with a focus on primary and secondary prevention.
- Encourage research on ASCVD in women and their inclusion in studies.
- Strengthen awareness among citizens and healthcare providers.
- Align medical practices with the latest scientific advances.
- Facilitate systematic screening and personalized treatments.
- Expand and decentralize rehabilitation centers for better accessibility.
- Implement proactive population health management.
The authors of the resolution call for urgent action to combat ASCVD, with a focus on prevention, awareness-raising and cooperation at all levels: local, national and European.
N-VA MP Kathleen Depoorter believes that society can no longer ignore the annual cost of ASCVD of 5 billion euros. “Investing in prevention and early detection will not only save lives, but also ensure the financial sustainability of our health system in the long term,” she says.
She emphasizes the importance of raising awareness among healthcare providers and patients. “We need to ensure that the severity of ASCVD is better understood. Too many people still perceive cardiovascular disease as an inevitable consequence of aging, when early diagnosis and intervention can save lives. Raising awareness must become a priority. »
For the MP, an effective national plan must include clear objectives and promote collaboration between all parties involved, from general practitioners to specialists, including public authorities and patient organizations. “We must learn from previous campaigns and design a widely supported plan based on the most recent science. »
Remember that an information session, organized at the House of Representatives on October 20, 2022 at the invitation of federal deputies Daniel Bacquelaine (MR) and Nathalie Muylle (CD&V), made it possible to draw the attention of parliamentarians to the need to quickly carry out several preventive actions to reduce the impact of cardiovascular diseases, of which atherosclerosis represents a major determinant, silently affecting around 750,000 Belgians.