Study Finds Most European Heart Patients Miss Targets
A large European observational study found most coronary artery disease patients fail to meet key prevention goals for cholesterol, blood pressure and rehabilitation.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Heart Disease
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The EUROASPIRE VI study, which collected data from 8590 coronary artery disease patients at 160 hospitals in 27 countries between September 2024 and February 2026, found that 82.7% of patients had LDL cholesterol above the study target. Only 11.5% of patients in high-risk regions met at least 8 of 10 prevention targets.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that many patients with established heart disease are not receiving or achieving recommended risk-reduction care across Europe, with implications for future cardiac events. The results highlight persistent gaps in prevention, particularly in cholesterol control and cardiac rehabilitation use.
The observational EUROASPIRE VI study scored patients from 0 to 10 across smoking, BMI, activity, blood pressure, LDL, A1c and cardioprotective medication targets, with only 11.5% of high-risk region patients reaching 8 or more. The stub does not report whether these gaps translate into differences in clinical outcomes.
The players
European Society of Cardiology
The European Society of Cardiology is a professional medical organization that publishes clinical practice guidelines for cardiovascular care across Europe.
The details
Among the patients, 17.1% continued to smoke, 32.0% had obesity, 33.5% reported low physical activity, and 30.6% had chronic kidney disease. Among those with known diabetes, 42.2% had an A1c level of 7% or higher, and 59.8% had blood pressure at or above target thresholds.
Timeline
September 2024 to February 2026: EUROASPIRE VI study data collection period.
August 2026: The European Society of Cardiology published its first recommendations dedicated to cardiac rehabilitation.
Roadmap
The newly published European Society of Cardiology recommendations on cardiac rehabilitation arrive as the EUROASPIRE VI data show only 29.1% of patients took part in at least one session. The findings place a specific measured gap against the guideline push to expand rehabilitation access across the continent.
Patients with coronary artery disease may want to discuss LDL cholesterol, blood pressure and rehabilitation participation with their clinicians, since the study found these are the most commonly missed targets. Cardiac rehabilitation participation at 29.1% suggests many eligible patients are not enrolled in programs that could support prevention.
The takeaway
Most patients in the study fell short of multiple prevention targets, underscoring that cholesterol control, blood pressure management and rehabilitation all need attention together. Patients and clinicians can use these target areas as a practical checklist for secondary prevention.
Further reading
Explore more on Heart Disease for context on prevention targets and patient care gaps.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Medscape.
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