Slovenia ranks fifth in new EU health study
Ljubljana, 9 December - Slovenia is among the top five countries in Europe where cardiovascular diseases are no longer the leading cause of death, show the results of the latest European Heart Index study. The index measures prevention, access to treatment and its efficiency.
Ljubljana.
Doctors, health.
Photo: Nebojša Tejić/STA
Slovenia ranked fifth, after France, Norway, Sweden and Luxembourg.
"Slovenia, struggling with budget restrictions and limitations in the health care system, has managed very well to keep an effective CV care," say the authors of the the survey, the Swedish think tank Health Consumer Powerhouse, which was conducted among 30 European countries.
According to the UKC Ljubljana hospital, the study has found significant differences between the guidelines of European countries on how to treat heart diseases and a very obvious connection between the amount of money invested and the results.
Wealthier countries can afford to monitor patients before the symptoms of heart disease escalate and invest more in prevention.
In Slovenia, there has been a national programme in place since 2001 that focuses on primary cardiovascular prevention. It aims to educate, monitor and manage the general population at having a healthy lifestyle, the survey says.
"Slovenia has been able to continue its high quality cardiac rehab programmes that focus on the patient out of the acute phase of Myocardial Infarct, which is a rarity in a country with limited economic means."
The European Heart Index (EHI) measures prevention, access to treatment and its efficiency based on 31 indicators.