00:00The European Commission today launched a screening week aiming to curb cardiovascular diseases in Europe.
00:06Across Europe, there are hundreds of activities taking place, including the one at the heart of the European Union.
00:11We bring any passers-by through a stream of different tests, including your blood glucose, your blood sugar, your blood
00:17cholesterol, the lipids, and your blood pressure, amongst a few others.
00:21Cardiovascular disease is the biggest killer in Europe, claiming around 1.7 million lives a year in the European Union
00:28and costing the economy more than 282 billion euros.
00:33All start by knowing your health data and health number, and that can save life.
00:37We can detect early, so early diagnosis means early intervention, and so we can prevent complications.
00:59And people agree that such checks are really important.
01:03I'm a doctor in the NHS in England, and I know how important prevention is in terms of stopping long
01:10-term illnesses.
01:11It's much easier to stop illnesses before they happen than to treat them once they've developed and are causing symptoms
01:18in people's lives and affecting their day-to-day.
01:21Such week also serves as a reminder of importance of regular checks.
01:26How often do you go to the doctor for this kind of thing?
01:28I would say not so often, so this is why this was maybe an opportunity to get a little bit
01:33more pragmatic and start going on a regular basis.
01:37The commission says that up to 80% of cases can be prevented by tackling risk factors including hypertension, obesity,
01:44and high cholesterol.
01:45Therefore, the commission's aim is clear, to move the focus of health care systems towards earlier detection and prevention.
01:51For too long, health care has been primarily about treating people once they become ill.
01:59We cannot afford to rely on that as our default model.
02:03The week started on the same day as the commission presented recommendation for European countries to step up cardiovascular health
02:09checks.
02:10That means having regular checks of blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar with a particular focus on people at a
02:17higher risk.
02:17That means that you have to be a very blunt type of health honor and a better person at a
02:17higher risk.
02:17That means that there are non-COVID-195 careers, and the work that is going to be important to them.
02:18That means that there's lots of different ways.
02:20That means that there is no longer an easy way to get rid of the problem.
