Annual report Cardiovascular disease - still the leading cause of death -

34% of all people in this country die of heart disease

As the annual report of the German Heart Foundation shows, cardiovascular disease remains by far the leading cause of death in Germany. According to the report, 338,000 people died of heart disease in 2020, representing 34% of all deaths.

The German Heart Foundation eV and the German Foundation for Heart Research recently published their annual report for 2021. The report highlights that cardiovascular diseases still represent the main role in the disease burden in Germany, with mortality and hospitalization rates always high.

1.7 million hospitalizations per year

According to the report, diseases of the cardiovascular system represent a huge challenge for the healthcare system: more than 1.7 million people in Germany are treated in hospitals for heart diseases every year.

The report from the German Heart Foundation is intended to help record the supply situation in Germany in order to identify opportunities for improvement. The foundation also wants to politically represent the interests of people with heart disease.

Improve the quality of life of people with heart disease

“The main goal of our work is to improve the quality of life of people with chronic heart disease and their cardiac medical care, as well as to reduce the burden of disease and mortality from cardiovascular disease,” emphasizes Professor Dr. Thomas Voiglander. He is Chairman of the Board of the German Heart Foundation.

Need for a National Heart Disease Strategy

In 2020, by far most people died from cardiovascular disease. According to the German Heart Foundation, the persistently high mortality and morbidity due to heart disease requires a “national strategy for better medical care”.

Furthermore, there is an urgent need for more innovative research in the field of cardiovascular disease. In collaboration with cardiac medical societies, the Heart Foundation is therefore calling for a national cardiovascular strategy to reduce cardiovascular mortality and improve the prognosis of those affected.

Action Alliance "Act with Courage"

In order to enforce this, the Heart Foundation founded the "Beherzt Handel" action alliance in 2021, in which a draft national cardiovascular strategy with concrete proposals is to be drawn up. The draft should also contain concrete demands to politicians to improve the situation of people with heart disease in Germany. (vb)

Author and source information

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This text corresponds to the specifications of the specialized medical literature, medical guidelines and current studies and has been verified by health professionals.

Author:

Graduate editor (FH) Volker Blasek

Sources:

German Heart Foundation: Annual report 2021 (PDF), herzstiftung.deDeutsche Herzstiftung: Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death (published: 26/07/2022), herzstiftung.deDeutsche Herzstiftung: Cardiovascular disease is once again the cause of most frequent death in Germany (published: 09.11.2021), herzstiftung.de

Important note:
This article contains general advice only and should not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. It cannot substitute a visit to the doctor.