The case for a joint CVD and
diabetes health check
Exhibition in the European Parliament (28 February - 2 March 2023)
Improving population lifestyle choices is not enough to tackle the burden of CVD and type 2 diabetes. However, population-wide screening is not the best option either. In addition to comprehensive screening already in place, the addition of quick, inexpensive targeted joint cardiovascular and diabetes health checks would be a cost-effective way to improve early diagnosis. It is crucial to diagnose people with CVD or diabetes as early as possible to prevent complications and save downstream costs. Given the interlinks between CVD and T2D, joint health checks based on common risk factors for both diseases (high BMI, high blood pressure, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, high blood glucose and high LDL cholesterol) are a sensible and cost-effective option for previously identified at-risk individuals.