Global Heart Hub
GHH
One of the fundamental aims of the Global Heart Hub is to identify and unite heart disease patient organisations across the world.
ID: 919657145807-88
Lobbying Activity
Response to Targeted revision of the EU rules for medical devices and in vitro diagnostics
6 Oct 2025
Global Heart Hub, the international alliance of cardiovascular patient organisations, supports the Commission's initiative to revise the Medical Device Regulation (MDR) and In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR) to reduce administrative burdens and enhance efficiency. However, we emphasize that simplification must not come at the expense of patient protection. Instead, we propose that meaningful patient involvement from the earliest stages of device development and regulatory processes will not only strengthen patient safety but also enhance the competitiveness of European medical device innovation by ensuring products truly meet patient needs. We highlight that patient protection and involvement be enhanced, not simplified away. We firmly believe that: True simplification comes through patient-centred design that gets devices right from the start Patient involvement from the beginning reduces regulatory complexity by ensuring devices meet real needs Enhanced patient protection builds public trust that supports the European medical device sector's global competitiveness Cardiovascular patients represent millions of Europeans who depend on medical devices for their health and quality of life. Their voices and experiences must be systematically incorporated into both device development and regulatory oversight to ensure that European innovation serves patients effectively while maintaining global leadership in medical technology. By designing and implementing policies that support the entire patient journey, the Commission can save lives, reduce costs, and enhance quality of life for Europes ageing population. Patients and patient organisations are ready to partner with EU institutions to ensure that lived experience and patient expertise are embedded in all aspects of health system planning and regulatory oversight.
Read full responseResponse to EU cardiovascular health plan
11 Sept 2025
As an international alliance of heart patient organisations, Global Heart Hub welcomes the Commissions leadership and calls for a boldly inclusive EU Cardiovascular Health Plan that truly reflects patient realities and delivers meaningful progress for everyone affected by heart disease. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the EU, accounting for 1.7 million lives lost each year and an annual economic impact of 282 billion. CVD causes more deaths than cancer and all other non-communicable diseases combined, with profound consequences for individuals, families and societies. Our submission sets out three core priorities for European and national action: advancing early detection and systematic screening, including routine structured cardiovascular health checks in primary care, comprehensive family history reviews, and digital risk profiling tools; tackling persistent gender gaps in prevention, diagnosis and care by mandating the routine collection of sex- and gender-disaggregated data, revising clinical trial protocols to ensure better representation of women, and embedding gender-sensitive guidelines and professional education; and improving integration of care for related comorbidities through multidisciplinary teams, interoperable health records and the standard provision of rehabilitation and mental health support within cardiovascular services. We call for the piloting of an EU-wide Family Cardiovascular Risk Passport to empower patients and clinicians to identify inherited risk earlier and support targeted follow-up, as well as urgent adoption of a Council Recommendation on Cardiovascular Health Checks a proven model that draws on the success of cancer screening policy to drive standards and reduce inequalities. Our five joint policy asks are: guaranteed access to multidisciplinary care and navigation for people with lived experience, earlier detection and community-based screening, investment in digital health and innovation, action to address inequities across gender, geography and socioeconomic status, and prioritisation of prevention including mental health integration. Patient and community participation must be embedded throughout the Plans development, delivery and evaluation so underserved, high-risk and marginalised groups are meaningfully involved in shaping solutions and governance. The Plan should be aligned with key EU frameworks such as Europes Beating Cancer Plan, the EU NCD Initiative and Horizon Europe, and commit to tackling health inequalities by guaranteeing universal access to diagnostics, treatment and rehabilitation for all Europeans, irrespective of their postcode or socioeconomic status. As CVD accounts for 35% of all deaths in women, results in poorer outcomes for older adults and those living with multiple chronic conditions, and is often detected too late due to missed opportunities in primary care, urgent action is required at both EU and Member State level to deliver lasting change. Global Heart Hubs submission advocates for a bold, patient-led strategy centred on prevention, equity, innovation and meaningful patient involvement a transformative vision for cardiovascular health in Europe.
Read full responseResponse to Anti-racism Strategy
8 Jul 2025
Racism constitutes a profound social determinant of health that significantly elevates both the risk and burden of cardiovascular diseases among minority populations across Europe. Structural racism operates through deeply embedded inequalities in access to essential resources such as healthcare, education, employment, and healthy living environments - factors that are foundational to cardiovascular well-being. Research consistently demonstrates that ethnic minority groups experience disproportionately higher rates of cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension and obesity, compared to majority populations. These disparities cannot be adequately explained by genetic predispositions or individual lifestyle choices alone; rather, they reflect the cumulative impact of systemic discrimination and social inequities. The chronic stress induced by structural racism triggers biological responses - such as increased inflammation - that directly harm cardiovascular health. Furthermore, barriers to preventive care and timely treatment often result in delayed diagnoses and poorer clinical outcomes for minority patients. To effectively reduce cardiovascular health disparities and promote equity, it is imperative that policies explicitly address the root causes of racism and its pervasive influence on social determinants of health. Sources: Javed Z, Haisum Maqsood M, et al. Race, Racism, and Cardiovascular Health: Applying a Social Determinants of Health Framework to Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2022 Jan;15(1):e007917. Banerjee S, Aaysha Cader F, Gulati M, Capers Q 4th. Racism and Cardiology: A Global Call to Action. CJC Open. 2021 Sep 24;3(12 Suppl):S165-S173. Bamoshmoosh M. Cardiovascular diseases in European ethnic minorities: Beyond the traditional cardiovascular risk factors. World J Cardiol. 2024 Mar 26;16(3):98-103. Merritt CC, Muscatell KA. Discrimination and Cardiovascular Health in Black Americans: Exploring Inflammation as a Mechanism and Perceived Control as a Protective Factor. Psychosom Med. 2024 Apr 1;86(3):181-191.
Read full responseResponse to LGBTIQ Equality Strategy
24 Jun 2025
Global Heart Hub wishes to underline the importance of equity in healthcare for all, including those from the gender-fluid, nonbinary and transgender communities, as well as those who face additional barriers concerning factors such as age, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. Research* has shown that the LGBTIQ community faces additional challenges to cardiovascular health. For example, transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people face higher rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death. While related to traditional risk factors, these are exacerbated by chronically high levels of stress driven by a lifetime of discrimination, the threat of violence, lack of affordable housing and access to health care. Also, transgender women may have an underestimated prevalence of CVD and its risk factors, therefore, research and support to improve screening, treatment and management of CVD are crucial. More research is needed to identify cardiovascular health profiles, improve practice consistency, and establish normative values for transgender patients. Also, transgender women have >2-fold increase in the rate of myocardial infarction compared with cisgender women. Future research could focus on long-term heart health studies and include transgender individuals in existing heart disease trials. There is also a need to understand better how sex chromosomes and hormones interact and affect heart health in this group. *Sources: Https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8387274/ Https://academic.oup.com/cardiovascres/article/117/14/e174/6375588 https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.119.005597
Read full responseMeeting with Maria Walsh (Member of the European Parliament)
12 Dec 2023 · Cardiovascular Health
Meeting with Maria Walsh (Member of the European Parliament)
25 Oct 2023 · Heart Failure & Health Policy