Why Europe’s new vision for cardiovascular health matters more than ever
My name is Jose Luis Gómez , VP Public Policy and Advocacy EMEA for Becton Dickinson (BD) and I’ve spent my career working at the intersection of clinical innovation, public health strategy, and medical technology. I have always believed that healthcare systems evolve most when policy, clinical evidence, and technological progress move together. This is why I want to publicly congratulate the European Union for taking a major step forward with its Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Plan.
For years, clinicians, researchers, and industry partners have warned that Europe was facing a silent but escalating cardiovascular crisis. Today, with this initiative, we finally see a coordinated approach that looks beyond acute treatment and embraces prevention, early detection, digital innovation, and equal access to care. In my opinion, this is the type of structured approach Europe truly needs.
MedTech Europe’s position for the future EU Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Plan centers on a set of priority actions to ensure earlier diagnosis, equitable access, and better long-term outcomes for patients. MedTech Europe calls for a comprehensive, population-wide CVD strategy that integrates systematic screening for high-risk individuals, improved detection of conditions such as hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure, and stronger adoption of evidence-based technologies including imaging, minimally invasive interventions, and remote monitoring tools. It highlights the need for harmonised quality standards across Member States, investment in integrated care pathways, and improved data infrastructure to support real-time registries and outcome measurement.
MedTech Europe also stresses the importance of accelerating innovation uptake through streamlined procurement processes, strengthening workforce training, and embedding digital health solutions to enable earlier intervention and continuity of care. Finally, it urges the European Commission to create measurable targets for CVD prevention and management, supported by dedicated funding and collaboration across health systems, industry, and patient organisations.
As we celebrate this milestone, I believe it is also the right moment to highlight two areas that must be fully embedded into Europe’s cardiovascular future:
- Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) – one of the most underestimated drivers of disability, mortality, and economic loss in Europe.
- Advanced blood-pressure monitoring technologies – from continuous non-invasive monitoring to AI-enhanced systems that can prevent hypotension and save lives.
Peripheral Arterial Disease — Europe’s hidden epidemic
Despite being a major cardiovascular condition, Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) still receives far less attention than coronary artery disease or stroke. Yet the numbers are deeply concerning. Across Europe, PAD affects millions of adults, approximately 235 million people worldwide, and its prevalence continues to grow, particularly among older citizens, people with diabetes, and socio-economically vulnerable groups.
In my opinion, the most tragic part is that PAD is often diagnosed too late, when the disease has progressed to critical limb ischaemia, very often leading to amputation. I believe many Europeans do not realise that lower-limb amputations are not just a surgical event—they are a life-changing turning point.
After an amputation, patients face : Reduced life expectancy, loss of independence, chronic pain, high mental-health burden, difficulty returning to work and significant caregiver dependence
For health systems, the consequences are enormous: prolonged rehabilitation, repeated admissions, social-care costs, and productivity losses. Amputations are one of the most devastating examples of how untreated cardiovascular disease becomes a societal and economic burden, not just a clinical one.
This is why I strongly believe that early screening for PAD must be integrated into the EU’s upcoming structured health checks. Simple tests such as the ankle–brachial index (ABI) or advanced vascular diagnostics can detect PAD years before critical complications develop.
Patients with early PAD are also at a very high risk of heart attack and stroke. Identifying them earlier allows clinicians to intensify prevention, smoking cessation, cholesterol management, and lifestyle interventions.
To me, this is one of the clearest examples of how prevention is not just a philosophy—it is a practical tool to save limbs, save lives, and protect Europe’s workforce.
Another point I want to emphasise is the urgent need for standardised PAD pathways in European hospitals. Today, the quality of limb-saving care varies dramatically. Some centres use the most advanced imaging, revascularisation tools, and wound-care technologies, while others still operate with limited resources.
I believe medical technology can play a crucial role here: modern endovascular devices, better perfusion imaging, and digital vascular tools all improve decision-making and outcomes. If Europe truly wants to reduce amputations, this must become a strategic priority.
Advanced blood-pressure monitoring technologies
The second topic I want to bring forward is blood pressure monitoring, which remains the cornerstone of managing cardiovascular stability. What is changing today is not the importance of blood pressure itself, but the level of precision, non-invasiveness and continuity we can achieve thanks to new technologies.
One innovation I strongly believe in is continuous non-invasive BP monitoring (CNIBPM). In stroke care, especially during thrombolysis or mechanical thrombectomy, keeping blood pressure within very narrow limits is absolutely critical for patient outcomes. The same is true for atrial fibrillation procedures, especially cardioversion and ablation, where sedation and arrhythmia transitions can create sudden haemodynamic shifts. In EP labs, clinicians often need to react within seconds, not minutes.
Traditional arm cuffs measure BP every few minutes, leaving dangerous gaps where hypotension or hypertension can go unnoticed. CNIBPM fills this gap by providing beat-to-beat blood-pressure tracking without the risks of an arterial line.
In my opinion, this is not just a technological improvement—it is a new standard of neurological protection.
At the same time, I am fascinated by the rise of AI-enabled haemodynamic management systems. These platforms can analyse arterial-waveform data in real time, predict hypotension minutes before it happens, and guide clinicians to take early, protective actions.
In cardiac surgery and post-cardiac recovery, preventing hypotension is directly linked to reduced organ injury, better kidney protection, lower mortality, shorter ICU stays and improved patient safety overall
To me, this is the future of cardio perioperative medicine: predictive, personalised, and prescriptive.
The EU’s cardiovascular disease plan is an important milestone, and I want to congratulate the policymakers, scientists, and advocates who have pushed this agenda forward. If we combine policy ambition with clinical innovation, Europe will be able to reduce amputations, prevent cardiovascular events, improve recovery, and strengthen the resilience of its health systems.
