Greece to relaunch cardiovascular prevention program in November

Greece will restart its cardiovascular disease prevention program, part of the ‘PROLAMBANO’ initiative, in early November. Deputy Health Minister Eirini Agapidaki announced the relaunch, highlighting the significant impact of the program's first cycle.

During the initial phase, approximately 3.5 million people underwent cardiovascular screenings. The program identified 1,163 individuals requiring urgent interventions such as angiographies and stents. Additionally, 250,000 people were diagnosed with previously unknown hypertension. The initiative provides free specialized tests, including exercise stress tests and stress echocardiograms.

Minister Agapidaki also emphasized the importance of testing for Lp(a), a protein linked to hereditary cardiovascular risk. When high levels are found in parents, children are also screened to mitigate the risk of future heart attacks or strokes. The program’s first cycle also included breast cancer screenings, which identified 87,000 women with findings, leading to at least 6,000 breast cancer diagnoses.