Dec 4, 2024
We warmly welcome the Council of the European Union’s conclusions on improving cardiovascular health, a critical step in addressing one of the most significant public health challenges in Europe. Cardiovascular disease, which includes stroke, is the leading cause of death in the EU, affecting millions of citizens and costing the economy billions annually.
This Council conclusion is important as is represents a collective agreement among EU Member States on key issues of concern and recommended actions. These can influence the work of Member States and the European Commission.
We commend the Council’s call for action, urging Member States to prioritise cardiovascular health. This includes expanding screening programs for risk factors, addressing social and environmental determinants of health and improving access to timely diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation. These measures are vital for those at risk of stroke and for individuals already living with the consequences of stroke.
We now call on the European Commission and the Commissioner for Health to take decisive action by developing a new European Cardiovascular Health Plan supported with adequate resources. Such a plan would guide Member States in implementing the Council’s recommendations, from enhancing preventive care and early detection to advancing management and rehabilitation practices.
Arlene Wilkie, Director General of the Stroke Alliance for Europe, said: “These Council conclusions represent a vital step forward for the millions of people across Europe living with the effects of stroke and those at risk. Member States and the European Commission now have the mandate to prioritise cardiovascular health and transform lives. This would not only reduce the devastating burden of cardiovascular disease it would also improve the quality of life for millions of Europeans. Early intervention and improved care can prevent strokes, save lives and support survivors in their recovery, enabling them to live healthier, more active lives”.
“We look forward to working with policymakers, healthcare professionals and civil society to turn these ambitions into reality for all those at risk of stroke and those affected by stroke. Together, we can ensure that stroke and cardiovascular health becomes a priority across Europe, with a comprehensive plan to support both prevention and care”.
Notes:
We have been working in partnership with the European Alliance for Cardiovascular Health to raise awareness of stroke and to call for greater focus on cardiovascular health at the EU level. For the EACH statement on the Council conclusions please click here
The final Council conclusion can be found here.
Dec 3, 2024
We are pleased to announce that the programme for the ELASF 2025 in Prague is now live on our website. Our scientific committee has worked hard to develop a programme that is filled with the latest research and best practice, with the voices of people with lived experience at its heart.
Programme topics include secondary prevention, Stroke Action Plan for Europe, technological innovations, communication and quality of life for women after stroke.
Please click to view.
Oct 29, 2024
We are pleased to announce that we are relaunching our Stroke Prevention website on World Stroke Day 2024. It has had a complete overhaul and now includes the latest facts and research on how to protect your brain and prevent stroke.
You will find essential information on risk factors, along with practical steps individuals and governments can take to reduce stroke risk, preventing a first and any further strokes. The content is designed for everyone, written in simple, non-medical language.
Oct 29, 2024
PRESTIGE-AF, an EU Horizon 2020-funded project led by Imperial College London, explored whether stroke survivors with atrial fibrillation (a heart condition that causes an irregular heartbeat and raises your risk of a serious stroke) should receive blood-thinning medication. To make this complex research more understandable, the team created Escape the Clinic!, an innovative pop-up escape room designed to educate the public about clinical trials in an engaging and fun way.
The escape room, featured at 12 events across Europe from February 2023 to August 2024, including the European Life After Stroke Forum, had over 500 participants racing against the clock to enrol a patient in a clinical trial. Along the way, they learned about the importance of trials in advancing stroke care.
“We included Escape the Clinic! at the European Life After Stroke Forum in Dublin in March this year, and it was a great success. It drew in stroke survivors, academics and healthcare professionals to engage with stroke research in a really interesting way. By making complex research concepts more accessible, we could inspire more stroke survivors to take a more active role in shaping the future of their care,” said Arlene Wilkie, Director General of Stroke Alliance for Europe.
Learn more about the project and how to create similar activities by downloading the full case study.
PRESTIGE-AF has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 754517.
You can find more information about the research project here: https://www.prestige-af.org/
Oct 29, 2024
On World Stroke Day, we are bringing attention to two groundbreaking European stroke research projects. One of these, the ANGIE project, funded by the EU Horizon 2020 programme, focuses on an innovative approach to treating ischemic strokes—strokes caused by blood clots that block blood flow to the brain.
Current treatments, like the drug rtPA, dissolve clots but must be administered in large doses, increasing the risk of dangerous side effects. To address this, researchers, led by Principal Investigator Professor Salvador Panè, developed tiny dissolvable microrobots that can be guided through blood vessels using magnetic fields. These microrobots deliver the drug directly to the clot, making treatment more precise and reducing risks.
“This is a significant leap forward in targeted drug delivery,” said Professor Panè, while Arlene Wilkie, Director General of the Stroke Alliance for Europe, added, “We look forward to seeing this technology transform stroke care and improve patient outcomes.”
This breakthrough offers hope for more effective and safer stroke treatments, potentially improving recovery rates and reducing long-term complications.
The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 952152.
More information can be found at www.h2020-angie.eu
