Cardiovascular diseases are the most common chronic illnesses in Estonia, the leading causes of death and the diseases responsible for the largest number of premature deaths.

"The particular thing about heart disease is that, unlike many other illnesses, we know quite well what causes it and have the means to intervene. But those measures have to be implemented and we have to be consistent," said Märt Elmet, president of the Estonian Society of Cardiology.

According to Elmet, these are largely lifestyle-related diseases whose risks can be reduced by changing one's behavior. However, when it comes to health habits, Estonians tend to resemble Eastern Europeans and do not take as much care of their health as they could.

"It is many times cheaper to prevent diseases and stop them from developing than to treat them afterward — in other words, to put out the fire. That is very expensive. Neither we nor other wealthy European countries can afford it financially and we are needlessly sacrificing people's health," Elmet said.

Cardiovascular diseases account for 25 percent of preventable deaths in Europe, compared with 30 percent in Estonia. Cardiologist Alar Irs said reducing preventable deaths requires tackling the rapidly growing problem of childhood obesity. In 2001, 7 percent of teenagers were overweight; 20 years later, that figure had risen to 20 percent.

"Whatever we can come up with to make excess weight and low physical inactivity among young people less of a problem than they are now, that's what we need to do," Irs said.

Second, efforts must focus on people who are at risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

"High blood pressure in Estonia, for example, is the clearest target. Based on the data we already have, these people can be identified. If we can reach them, education and treatment can prevent complications from high blood pressure, such as a heart attack or kidney damage," Irs said.

As occupational health checkups are the only mandatory medical visits, a pilot program will soon test whether they could be used to detect health problems earlier.

"Occupational health doctors conduct various tests and ask for health information. If an assessment shows that a person is at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease or already has a condition that is not being monitored the occupational health doctor will draw up a specific prevention plan, counsel the patient and document the case somewhat more thoroughly than is done today," said Liis Kruus, head of the primary care portfolio at the Estonian Health Insurance Fund.

Monitoring a person's health, however, will remain the responsibility of their family doctor. An average of 270,000 people with high blood pressure see a doctor each year, with their treatment costing nearly €36 million. Diseases of the circulatory system cost the Estonian Health Insurance Fund an average of €203 million a year.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and X and never miss an update!