Heart disease

Artificial intelligence technology developed to predict heart disease

A revolutionary new medical device able to predict coronary artery disease using artificial intelligence (AI) has been developed by a UK health-tech firm, the first such technology of its kind.

Whole grain diet can slash risk of cardiovascular disease, says researchers

Increasing the daily intake of whole grains to 30-40g reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) by up to 20%, EURACTIV.com heard at a recent event to mark the first International Whole Grain Day.

Two-thirds of deaths of under 75-year-olds could have been prevented

In 2016, the deaths of 1.2 million Europeans under 75 were considered premature and could have been prevented, according to a report by Eurostat. EURACTIV's partner Ouest-France reports.

EU curbs trans fats from 2021 to boost heart health

The EU adopted a regulation on Wednesday (24 April) to curb trans fat amounts in products like snack food as part of efforts to fight heart disease and strokes in Europe.

European Medicines Agency launches review of recalled heart drug

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said Thursday it is conducting a review of the health effects on patients of a widely used blood pressure medication recalled around the world last month.

Pollution racks up 9 million deaths a year worldwide

Pollution causes 9 million deaths around the world every year, according to a landmark new study which found that one in six of all deaths are linked to polluted air, water and soil.

Soft drink makers back product reformulation as ‘healthier’ than taxation

Governments can steer consumers towards healthier choices by supporting the reformulation of food ingredients, rather than imposing "discriminatory" taxes, according to the soft drinks industry.

Tobacco makers denounce ‘brand theft’ from plain packaging

The trend towards imposing plain packaging on tobacco products has made industry executives furious and denounce “Brussels-led overregulation” that effectively leads to "brand theft".

Retailers fear tobacco-style restrictions on food and drinks

Governments across Europe have applied ever-more restrictive measures to the sale of food and drinks as a way of fighting obesity – a regulatory proliferation that is making retailers worried about new barriers to the EU’s single market.

Weighing the tradeoffs of joy versus long term health

Consumers make hundreds of choices every day, some of  which imply weighing the tradeoffs of joy versus long term health. These are highly subjective decisions, and in a free society adult consumers should have the right to make these choices and not have them dictated to them by public health tsars, writes Fred Roeder.

Regulating consumers?

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Over the years, sales and marketing restrictions have piled up on food, drinks and alcohol products. Some are now beginning to worry about a “slippery slope” where tobacco-style regulations – and taxation – are being applied to a whole range of consumer products in the name of public health objectives.

Consumer group wants to kill cartoons on ‘unhealthy’ food for children

The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) urged food companies on Wednesday (14 June) to stop using cartoon characters to promote unhealthy foods for children, saying they negatively affect their dietary behaviour.

Study: Biking to work lowers risks of cancer and heart disease

Riding a bicycle to work reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer, according to a new UK study carried out by Glasgow researchers.

A healthy environment means healthy citizens and a more vibrant EU

Europeans have some of the highest rates of anxiety, depression and other non-infectious diseases in the world. Today, on World Health Day, nature is an overlooked remedy, argues Magda Stoczkiewicz.

Five countries face fines after breaking EU pollution laws

The European Commission threatened legal action against France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK after they failed to protect their citizens’ health against dangerous levels of air pollution.

Families cannot tackle childhood obesity alone, EU study says

The family environment is not able to overcome childhood obesity without governmental support, a new report has found.

Poverty and tobacco carry similar health risks, study finds

People on the bottom rung of the socioeconomic ladder may live two years less on average than those at the top, according to a large-scale study published Wednesday (31 January) in the British journal The Lancet.

Personalised medicine – the future of CVD treatment?

Doctors are already able to calculate patients’ risk of getting cardiovascular disease based on their electronic medical records, including age, gender and smoking habits. Adding genetic assessments to the mix will make their job easier.

A soft target: EU countries go after sugar in CVD fight

If the UK is a leader among European countries in statin treatment and cardiac rehabilitation, it lags behind in addressing the behavioural causes of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), such as child obesity.

UK and US at odds with Europe over statin use

Statins are already the United Kingdom’s most commonly prescribed medicines – roughly 6 million Brits take the drugs on a regular basis to lower the risk of a cardiovascular incident, in line with US practice. But in continental Europe, views tend to differ.

Prevention is the name of the CVD game

Early prevention is the name of the game these days for the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) when it comes to tackling cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Cardiovascular health in the UK

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Although death rates have fallen substantially, cardiovascular disease remains the single biggest killer in the UK and Europe, as well as a sizeable economic burden. EURACTIV looks at the many facets of cardiovascular disease.