Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is currently the leading cause of death in Europe, responsible for the loss of 17.9 million lives annually,1 underscoring its significant impact on public health in our times.2 The majority of these mortalities are due to heart attacks and strokes, many of which are preventable through effective risk factor management. Highlighting the urgency for robust public health action and increased awareness.2
Behind the curtain of the heart health survey
In January 2024, Daiichi Sankyo Europe convened a first-of-its-kind holistic heart health Think Tank, bringing together influential representatives from various healthcare disciplines across Europe who share our commitment to redefining heart health and care – Future of Heart Health in Europe: A Holistic Care Think Tank.3
The Think Tank proposed recommendations in three key areas: improved lifelong support and education, increase interdisciplinary collaboration and communication, and changes in health policies across Europe. To read more about the recommendations, visit our blog post and the report.3
To corroborate the findings of the Think Tank, we developed the 2025 “European Heart Health Survey – Public Perceptions on Cardiovascular Care” to explore the key area “Improving awareness & lifelong learning”.3,4
Our methodology to tap into public voices across Europe on heart health
The survey was conducted online between 25th March 2025 and 14th April 2025 in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain (general public only). There were over 8.500 respondents: 3,674 patients suffering from a range of pre-existing conditions, including CVD, blood disorders and diabetes, and it also included 4,906 members of the general public.4
From the survey, quality insights were derived to understand public and patient perceptions on heart health and inform activities to enhance Daiichi Sankyo’s positioning as a trusted partner in helping people to live healthier lives and prevent CVD.
Risk to heart health is high with 1 out of 3 patients claiming they have either experienced a cardiac event or been told they are at high risk4
*Healthcare professionals include doctors, nurses and all professions caring for patients
More than a quarter of patients said they had never contacted a healthcare professional (HCP) despite having cardiovascular symptoms. And nearly half of patients (44%) reported reluctance to share heart health concerns with their physician or healthcare provider for fear of not being taken seriously.4
The reason is two-fold:
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Lack of heart health symptom awareness
One in five patients lack familiarity with symptoms of cardiovascular diseases.4 This is due to limited public knowledge and education, particularly when it comes to education on the diversity of cardiovascular symptoms beyond chest pain and shortness of breath.5,6
38% of patients postpone seeking medical care as they perceive their symptoms as low urgency.4 This could be because of the asymptomatic nature of the risk factors e.g., high blood pressure is a major risk factor but often has no symptoms and goes undetected, increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke.2,7
Over 50% of patients are not aware of gender differences in cardiovascular symptoms. However, two out of three male patients say they have been offered specific advice or support to talk about their risk of cardiovascular disease due to their age/health status, compared to only half of female patients.4 There are widespread misconceptions, notably among women, that heart disease is primarily a male issue, leading to the underestimation of personal risk and delay in seeking care.5
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Lack of trust between patients and health care professionals on heart health
Among the general public, primary doctors emerge as the clear leader in trustworthiness, with two out of three citing them as the most trustworthy. Conversely, this also means that one in three people does not trust them completely.4 For younger generations this deterioration of trust could be due to questioning of traditional care models and skepticism towards traditional health messaging, and the desire for more convenience and more tailored treatment.8
Trust in primary healthcare professionals is notably highest among older generations within the general public. This could be due to familiarity, and cultural and generational attitudes where doctors are regarded as the definitive health authorities.9 This lack of trust between patients and HCPs leads to reluctance in discussing heart health issues, with 14% avoiding seeking a diagnosis and every second patient fears being disregarded by their HCP so they are reluctant to share heart health concerns.4
Many respondents are turning to alternative online sources for information on their heart health
While the general public mostly turns to their primary physicians (71%) when they search for cardiovascular health information, 43% use the internet and 27% turn to social media over their primary physician.4 This increases as age decreases, with one-third not fully trusting their HCP, being especially pronounced among younger generations.4
In addition, almost half of patients are open to using artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for additional support to manage cardiovascular health. However, the biggest barriers to patients using AI are misinformation and a preference for human interaction, with nearly four in ten patients saying these factors could prevent them from using AI to support their health.4 Among the general public, nine out of ten respondents express concern about misinformation in the media about cardiovascular health. This could be because it poses risk to patient safety, effective treatment and trust. Importantly, over half believe collaboration between pharmaceutical companies and doctors is crucial for patients to improve cardiovascular health.4
How can we step in beyond medicine to holistically tackle heart health?
To improve heart health, we have to focus on what the patients and the general population needs, that is why enhancing patients’ education is key through trustworthy sources. As trust in healthcare professionals is typically lacking in the younger generations, and as they are the most prone to using digital information sources, we are tapping into digital technologies that can help protect people from CVD by identifying risks earlier and supporting HCPs in making the best decisions together with their patients.4,8
35% of the general public cite digital tools or apps as a beneficial self-management option for supporting their cardiovascular health.4
At Daiichi Sankyo our aim is to drive disease awareness and prevent misinformation through our support and collaboration with healthcare providers and patient organizations . Providing care goes beyond medicines, and we are committed to continuously focus on having a holistic approach to heart health. Modern technology continually changes the practice of medicine and our industry, and as such we are exploring innovative digital solutions that complement and expand CV care to help HCPs provide patients with the care they need.
CTA: Would you like to know more about our findings? Download the factsheet here.