Objective:

To estimate lifetime benefits from optimized secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in patients across seven European countries, focusing on the potential for improved health outcomes.

Key Findings:

• Over 94,359 cardiovascular-event-free life-years could be gained annually across the seven countries by improving secondary ASCVD prevention, with specific gains of 25,333 years in Germany, 21,144 years in Italy, 14,584 years in France, 13,324 years in the UK, 9,393 years in Spain, 9,369 years in Poland, and 1,212 years in Denmark.
• Improving treatment coverage and smoking cessation from 43% to 70% is crucial for maximizing health benefits.

Interpretation:

The study underscores the significant potential for enhanced secondary prevention strategies to improve cardiovascular health outcomes in ASCVD patients, highlighting the need for policy changes.

Limitations:

• The study relies on existing literature and estimates, which may not fully capture real-world complexities, potentially limiting the applicability of the findings.
• Future work should incorporate updated data and additional cardiometabolic risk factors to enhance the robustness of the conclusions.

Conclusion:

Closing the gap between clinical guidelines and real-world care is essential to reduce deaths and improve cardiovascular health outcomes in Europe, necessitating proactive measures from healthcare systems.