What is the European Heart Network (EHN)?

Updated

The European Heart Network (EHN) is a Europe-wide network of national heart foundations and associations working to prevent and reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly heart disease and stroke. It is the site to consult if you want to understand who coordinates heart-health advocacy at European level, find Europe-wide CVD statistics, or locate the national heart organisation in a given country. Its work spans advocacy, networking, capacity-building, representing patient interests, and research.

Who EHN is and what it does

EHN describes itself as playing "a leading role in the prevention and reduction of cardiovascular diseases, in particular heart disease and stroke." Its stated mission and vision is that "every European has a right to a life free from avoidable cardiovascular diseases."

Its members are national heart foundations and associations across Europe that are committed to preventing CVD, supporting patients, representing patient interests, and funding research. Through these members, EHN operates as a federation-style network rather than a single direct-service organisation.

The site organises its activities into five areas:

Activity area What it covers
CVD Prevention Reducing exposure to the main risk factors for CVD to increase years lived in good health
CVD Patients EU policy files affecting patients with cardiovascular disease
CVD Research Networking among research-funding members via the EHN Research Platform, and interaction with the EHN Patient Group
EHN Projects Structured patient involvement in research and innovation projects
EHN Campaigns Awareness-raising and advocacy campaigns

It also publishes an EHN Publications section and maintains a news feed covering EU policy developments and member activities.

The statistics it publishes

One of the most practical reasons to visit the site is its European Cardiovascular Disease Statistics section, which summarises the scale of CVD in Europe:

  • 3.9 million deaths from CVD in Europe per year
  • 45% of all deaths in Europe are from CVD
  • €210 billion annual cost of CVD to the EU economy
  • 85 million people living with CVD in Europe

These figures are useful for advocacy documents, presentations, or background research. The site links to a fuller "CVD Statistics" page for detail beyond the headline numbers.

Strategic direction

EHN's current framework is its Strategic Plan 2023–2030, presented on the site as "Europe's Cardiovascular Health Opportunities: Leadership for Change." If you need to know what the network intends to prioritise over the coming years, that plan is the primary document to read.

The site's news section also shows how the network engages with EU institutions — for example, welcoming a European Commission proposal for a Council Recommendation on cardiovascular health checks, and highlighting member activities around World Heart Day and an EU Screening Week.

When this site is the right source

Use ehnheart.org if you want:

  • A Europe-level overview of CVD burden and cost, with citable headline statistics
  • A directory of national heart foundations and associations through the EHN Members section
  • Insight into EU policy work on cardiovascular health and patient interests
  • EHN's strategic priorities and published reports

It is less suited to individual clinical guidance or country-specific patient services — for those, the member organisations listed on the site are the appropriate starting point. The site does not present itself as a provider of medical advice, and its focus is population-level prevention and policy.