Brussels, 30 September, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Europe’s first EU Screening Week is under way from 28 September to 4 October, urging people across the European Union to check their blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar as part of a major prevention drive against cardiovascular disease. The European Commission launched the initiative alongside new recommendations for cardiovascular health checks, aiming to detect risk factors earlier and reduce the toll from heart and circulatory diseases, which remain the EU’s leading cause of death.
EU Screening Week focuses on early detection
The campaign, running alongside World Heart Day on 29 September, carries the message “Know Your Numbers”. Health organisations across Europe are offering checks, public information and prevention activities designed to identify cardiovascular risks before serious complications develop.
The scale of the problem is substantial. Cardiovascular diseases account for around 1.7 million deaths in the EU each year and affect an estimated 62 million people. The European Commission also estimates that cardiovascular diseases cost the EU more than €282 billion annually through healthcare pressures, reduced productivity and wider economic effects.
Várhelyi calls for earlier health checks
European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi said prevention should begin before patients develop serious complications.
“Prevention cannot wait. That is why we are launching the first-ever EU Screening Week: to encourage people across Europe to know their numbers and take action for their health,” Várhelyi said.
He added that people should know their blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar and speak to healthcare professionals about their individual risks.
The European Society of Cardiology has also backed the campaign. ESC President Professor Cecilia Marianne Linde said: “If every citizen, every person, knew these three numbers, millions of lives could be saved.”
Free cardiovascular checks offered across Europe
Screening activities are taking place in several EU countries. In Brussels, a dedicated health-check zone outside the European Commission’s Berlaymont building is offering free blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar checks from 28 September to 2 October.
Other activities include screening and awareness campaigns in countries including Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, Malta and Spain. Romania’s programme, for example, includes free cardiovascular screening, health education and basic life-support training.
Safe Hearts Plan sets 2035 target
The screening initiative forms part of the Commission’s Safe Hearts Plan, unveiled in December 2025. The plan supports prevention, earlier detection, treatment and rehabilitation while addressing inequalities in cardiovascular health.
European medical organisations say cardiovascular disease is closely connected with diabetes, obesity, hypertension and high cholesterol. Diabetes affects about 35.3 million people in the EU, while roughly one in six adults lives with obesity.
EU countries consider stronger heart health checks
The Commission adopted its proposal for a Council Recommendation on cardiovascular health checks on 28 September. It is intended to help EU member states introduce evidence-based and targeted screening programmes adapted to national healthcare systems.
EU Screening Week continues until 4 October, but the wider policy objective extends much further. Under the Safe Hearts Plan, the EU is seeking to cut premature cardiovascular deaths by 25% by 2035, making earlier detection and prevention a central part of Europe’s response to its leading cause of death.
