Heart disease rising in central and eastern Europe

Europe's policymakers are being asked to make improvements in cardiovascular health a major political priority as evidence emerges of the spread of heart disease across social and geographical boundaries.

Cardiovascular disease is already the cause of four million deaths a year in Europe. Mortality from the disease is rising in central and eastern Europe, where it is almost double that of the worst affected countries in the European Union. On current trends, the disease will be responsible for 19 million deaths annually worldwide by 2020.

The Winning Hearts campaign to move heart disease higher up the political agenda was launched this week by the British Heart Foundation and the European Society of Cardiology. Their aim is to ensure that every child born in …