Ireland is taking part in the EU Joint Action on Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes (JACARDI), with a pilot focusing on early detection of heart failure.

Project Duration: 01/11/23 - 31/10/27

JACARDI Overview

Life expectancy across the European Union (EU) has increased significantly in recent decades. However, longer lives do not always mean healthier lives. In the EU, approximately 1 in 6 adults live with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the number of people living with diabetes (DM) has almost doubled in the last decade, affecting 1 in 10 adults across the Union. It became obvious that managing the growing burden of non-communicable diseases required coordinated and integrated action across European countries. As a result of this burden, the Joint Action on CARdiovascular disease and DIabetes (JACARDI) emerged.

JACARDI is a joint action of the EU that aims to support European Member States in reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, at both the individual and health system level. It was awarded an unprecedented €53 million from the European Commission under the EU4Health initiative and will take place over the course of four years, from 2023 to 2027. The Joint Action includes 76 partners from 21 European Countries, including Ireland, creating 142 tailor-made pilot projects, taking place in both clinical and non-clinical settings.

Ireland is conducting pilots in two key areas:

• Screening High-Risk Individuals and Populations
• Patient Self-Management.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) is coordinating Ireland's overall participation in the JACARDI project, collaborating with Croí Heart and Stroke Charity to deliver these pilots. The HSE is leading the pilot focused on Screening High-Risk Individuals and Populations, while Croí Heart and Stroke Charity is running the pilot focused on Patients Self-Management.

Screening High-Risk Populations and Individuals – STOP-CVD pilot

The STOP-CVD (Screening to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease) pilot targets screening efforts for high-risk populations and individuals, aiming to enhance preventive strategies for cardiovascular disease. STOP-CVD builds upon the success of STOP-HF (Screening to Prevent Heart Failure), a research study that started in 2004. STOP-HF aimed to establish whether people with cardiovascular risk factors have their risk defined by testing B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels. Following the promising results of the STOP-HF study, the HeartBeat Trust set up the STOP-HF service, which runs in St. Michaels Hospital in Dun Laoghaire, offering BNP-screening aimed at prevention and early detection of heart failure. ​

This BNP-based approach is now being implemented through the Chronic Disease Management Programme, with the NT-proBNP blood test available to those eligible.

The aim of the STOP-CVD pilot is to conduct a service evaluation of the inclusion of BNP-based screening in the CDM programme and to assess the feasibility and implications, including cost-effectiveness of the scaling up of the approach. ​The pilot aims to validate a BNP-based screening and targeted care model for those at risk of CVD. Additionally, the pilot will produce strategic guidelines for translocation, implementation and effective integration of these protocols into the health systems of member states.