Shocking figures: In Greece, someone dies of heart disease every 12 minutes

 

Almost one in three deaths in Greece is due to cardiovascular disease, which claimed the lives of 40,812 people in 2023. That amounts to one death every 12 minutes, according to ELSTAT data, which highlights the need to strengthen prevention, early diagnosis and access to effective treatment.

Against this backdrop, the Hellenic Cardiological Society (HCS) presented the National Plan for the Prevention and Management of Cardiovascular Diseases for the first time at a press conference held on Friday, 13 November 2026, at the Grand Hyatt Athens, as part of the HCS International Congress of Cardiology (13–15 November).

The Plan is being drawn up under the European initiative EU Safe Hearts Plan, in cooperation with the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), and is expected to be submitted to the Ministry of Health shortly.

Taking part in the press conference were the HCS president and professor of Cardiology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Konstantinos Tountouzas; the head of the Scientific Committee for the drafting of the Plan and president of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC), Konstantinos Davos; the HCS vice president and professor of Cardiology at the University of Ioannina, Lampros Michalis; and the professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at Harokopio University, Dimosthenis Panagiotakos.

Cardiovascular disease: The picture in Greece and Europe

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death and disability in the European Union, accounting for about one in three deaths, with the total number reaching 1.7 million a year.

As Konstantinos Davos pointed out, although 80% of cardiovascular diseases can be prevented, only 3% of total health spending goes to prevention.

In this context, the European Safe Hearts Plan sets the goal of reducing premature cardiovascular mortality by 25% by 2035, compared with 2022 levels.

The epidemiological data for Greece, presented by Dimosthenis Panagiotakos, are particularly worrying.

According to ELSTAT data, 40,812 deaths from cardiovascular disease were recorded in the country in 2023, a figure that corresponds to almost one third of all deaths or, put differently, to one death every 12 minutes.

In the same year, 8,324 people died prematurely, while premature mortality from ischaemic heart disease was about 37% higher than the European Union average. Among men, the gap reached 42%.

At the same time, the ATTICA study, which has been following 3,000 men and women for 20 years, showed that participants lost an average of 12.3 years of life because of premature cardiovascular morbidity.

The total economic cost of cardiovascular disease in Greece is estimated at 4.315 billion euros, while 23.9% of the population is over the age of 65.

The gap between knowledge and prevention

Significant gaps in public awareness are also revealed by the nationwide public opinion survey carried out by the HCS in September 2026.

According to its findings, only 25.1% of citizens know that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death, while 50.7% wrongly believe that it mainly affects men.

Although 77.9% of respondents have undergone a preventive check-up, 39.9% have never discussed their cardiovascular risk with a doctor. At the same time, three in four citizens do not know cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

The survey also shows that citizens regard the Hellenic Cardiological Society as a key source of reliable information, while expressing the need for health education to begin as early as school.

“The citizen knows. What they lack is not so much information, but the motivation and the tools to act,” stressed the HCS vice president, Lampros Michalis.

The six strategic pillars of the National Plan

The central vision of the National Plan is to shape a new culture of cardiovascular health, with an emphasis on prevention and care at every stage of life.

The main aim is to improve the cardiovascular health of the population, without inequalities in prevention, early diagnosis and access to quality health services.

The Plan is built around six strategic pillars:

Prevention and promotion of cardiovascular health: Interventions starting from school age, with particular emphasis on women’s needs.

Early detection, diagnosis and integrated care: Universal assessment of cardiovascular risk in the adult population.
Equal access and upgrading of cardiovascular care: Strengthening access to health services, including in island, mountainous and remote areas.

Governance, data and digital transformation: Creation of a National Observatory for Cardiovascular Health, development of national registries linked to the electronic health record, and use of telemedicine and artificial intelligence.

Education, research and societal participation: Establishment of Preventive Cardiology as an official specialisation or structured postgraduate training, alongside stronger cooperation with patient associations.

Implementation, funding and evaluation: Introduction of national monitoring indicators and setting of a strategic target for reducing premature deaths by 2050.

From planning to practice: Interventions for 2027–2030

The actions included in the Hellenic Cardiological Society’s strategy for 2027–2030 were presented by Lampros Michalis, who emphasised engaging citizens, making use of technology and adopting healthy habits from an early age.

The main interventions include:

Informing and engaging citizens: Educational activities, a revamp of the HCS website, an expanded CPR training network and greater emphasis on proper nutrition and on tackling obesity. In addition, steady cooperation with patient associations is planned.
Using technology in prevention: Use of wearable devices and artificial intelligence applications, combined with training for cardiologists in the new digital tools. As was noted, “digital applications do not replace the doctor. But they make prevention a daily habit.”

Prevention from school age: Integration of nutrition, physical activity, CPR training and information about cardiovascular risk factors into everyday school life, through cooperation between the State and families.
Lifestyle changes: Physical exercise programmes in workplaces, incentives for women to exercise regularly, especially after menopause, and promotion of the “school on the move” initiative.

Adaptation to Greece’s needs: Use of thrombolysis where required, in cooperation with the Regional Health Authorities (YPE), so that heart attack patients are treated promptly, regardless of where they are. In addition, the creation of Cardiac Rehabilitation Centres, staffed with personnel from different specialties, is planned.

Through these interventions, the HCS seeks to strengthen its role as the State’s scientific adviser, making use of both the European Safe Hearts Plan and the Greek Presidency of the European Union in the second half of 2027, so that cardiovascular health becomes a priority.

“A long-term national investment in health”

The importance of the National Plan and the need to shape a long-term strategy for cardiovascular health were addressed by the HCS president and professor of Cardiology at NKUA, Konstantinos Tountouzas.

As was noted, the ultimate goal is to reduce both first and recurrent cardiovascular events, to lower premature mortality and to increase the number of years lived in good health and without disability.

“The National Cardiovascular Health Plan is not just another health programme. It is a long-term national investment in prevention, early diagnosis and effective treatment,” the professor stressed.

At the same time, a key priority is to ensure equal access for all citizens to prevention and treatment, regardless of where they live.

The Scientific Committee drawing up the Plan

Responsibility for drafting the National Plan lies with a Scientific Committee headed by Konstantinos Davos, president of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology.

The Committee also includes:

Vasileios Vasileiou, president-elect of the EAPC, University of East Anglia.
Kalliroi Kalantzi, cardiologist and professor of Nursing at the University of Ioannina.
Dimosthenis Panagiotakos, professor of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at Harokopio University.
Emmanouil Paximadakis, president of the HCS Working Group on Prevention and Rehabilitation.
Michalis Papadakis, professor at St George’s, University of London.
Christodoulos Papadopoulos, professor of Cardiology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) and vice president of the HCS Working Group on Prevention and Rehabilitation.
Kyriakos Souliotis, professor of Health Policy at the University of the Peloponnese.