2024-09-13 13:45:30
A new report shows that there are more deaths from heart disease in Germany. Lauterbach’s recently passed “Healthy Heart Law” is intended to counteract this. But it is sending the wrong signals.
The Federal Minister of Health actually had the right idea: There are too many people suffering from heart disease and deaths from heart disease in Germany; their numbers are increasing, so better early detection and treatment of cardiovascular diseases are urgently needed. Lauterbach’s “Healthy Heart Law”, which was passed at the end of August, is intended to address this.
The problem, however, is that the law sets the wrong priorities – treatment takes precedence over prevention. Experts agree that it should be the other way around.
Drug treatment is being increased and started earlier. In the future, drugs to lower cholesterol or blood pressure will be prescribed at lower thresholds (including in children). But this is highly controversial and contradicts scientific guidelines (which can be found here). Many patients will benefit from the drug, but the big pharmaceutical companies will do the most to do so. But that’s another story.
Preventive measures are also planned in the new law: early detection examinations will be introduced for children and young people so that those at risk of heart disease can be treated in good time. The same applies to adults aged 25 and over, for whom there will be preventive examinations classified according to age and risk.
This is the right and important step – even if there are voices from the medical profession saying that implementing the required screenings could lead to overloading of the already overcrowded practices.
But real prevention must go much further.
It is well known that cardiovascular diseases can be combated much earlier and more effectively through lifestyle changes. If Lauterbach really wants to reduce the number of heart patients, the diseases must be prevented in advance. However, there are no incentives or programs to promote a healthy lifestyle, such as nutritional advice or exercise programs, in the text of the law.
Brainpower and money should also be invested in educational work. Why is there no public campaign to highlight the importance of exercise, healthy eating and stress reduction for heart health? Why is the topic of heart health not covered more in school lessons so that children learn early on how to protect their hearts through diet and exercise? And why are there no plans to subsidise healthy food, while at the same time unhealthy food (for example, highly processed products) is becoming more expensive through higher taxes?
All of these measures are necessary to get people to change their behavior. They could save many hearts. First getting a heart condition and then taking pills certainly won’t do it.