National Heart Network Launches in Germany to Improve Cardiovascular Care

Berlin – A nationwide initiative, the National Heart Network (NHN), is set to launch in Germany, aiming to revolutionize cardiovascular care through comprehensive data collection and analysis. Announced at the third BILD Heart Summit by Professor Stefan Blankenberg, President of the German Society for Cardiology (DGK) and Director of the Heart Clinic at the University Heart & Vascular Center Hamburg, the NHN seeks to address a critical gap in understanding the long-term effectiveness of heart treatments.

Despite cardiovascular diseases being the leading cause of death in Germany, accounting for 339,000 fatalities annually [1], a systematic collection of treatment data and patient outcomes has been lacking. “We actually don’t know which therapies, medications, and surgeries function in the long term for individual patients,” stated Professor Blankenberg.

How the National Heart Network Will Work

The NHN will establish a data network that systematically collects routine medical data from clinical practice, including diagnoses, lab results, and medication information. This data will be standardized and analyzed to improve patient care and potentially reduce unnecessary heart-related deaths and increase life expectancy. [4]

Key features of the NHN include:

• Data Privacy: Patient data will be collected in a way that protects individual privacy.
• Patient App: A dedicated NHN patient app will allow individuals to document their heart condition information even after hospital treatment.
• Pilot Phase: The initial phase will begin in early 2027 in Berlin, the Ruhr region, and the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. [4]

Benefits for Heart Patients

Professor Blankenberg emphasized the potential benefits for patients, stating, “We want to treat millions of heart patients better. In the long term, we can also avoid unnecessary heart deaths and significantly improve life expectancy.” [1] The network aims to enable more targeted therapies, leading to longer and healthier lives for those with heart conditions.

Germany’s Position in European Healthcare

Despite having the highest per capita healthcare spending in Europe (around 6,000 euros annually), Germany’s life expectancy remains in the European mid-range. The NHN is intended to assist improve these outcomes by leveraging data-driven insights.

Leadership and Support

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kardiologie (DGK) is the driving force behind the NHN, with support from the Friede Springer Foundation. The network will be operated through a dedicated NHN-gGmbH, guided by a scientific committee comprising experts from various professional societies and research institutions. [4]

Professor Stefan Blankenberg envisions the NHN positioning Germany at the forefront of digital data processing in European cardiology within the next three to four years, potentially leading the development of the European Data Space for heart medicine. [4]