World Heart Day: national programme for cholesterol control by 2030

On World Heart Day, marked on 29 September, attention turned once again to the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Former Health Minister Alexandru Rogobete attended the launch of the "50/2030 Challenge – Cholesterol Under Control" programme, an initiative by the Romanian Heart Foundation, and spoke about the importance of early detection of cardiovascular risk and access to treatment.

About the "50/2030 Challenge" programme

The programme was launched at the invitation of Prof. Dr Dragoș Vinereanu and has a clear target: by 2030, at least 50% of patients with elevated cholesterol levels should reach the recommended therapeutic values.

The initiative pursues four main objectives:

• assessing patients' cardiovascular risk;
• raising awareness of cholesterol levels;
• identifying at-risk individuals at an early stage;
• facilitating access to appropriate treatment.

Why cardiovascular screening matters

According to Alexandru Rogobete, cardiovascular screening is not merely a routine medical test, but a tool through which risk can be identified before a heart attack or stroke occurs. Elevated cholesterol can go undetected for years with no visible symptoms, which is why knowing one's own values is considered the first step in prevention.

The National Strategy 2025–2030

The former minister recalled that he had supported this endeavour during his term in office. In July 2025, the National Strategy for Combating Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases 2025–2030 was approved — a document proposing an integrated national approach encompassing prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, patient rehabilitation, digitalisation of medical services, and the development of specialist networks.

New medicines on the reimbursed list

Rogobete highlighted that access to treatment is an essential component of prevention, and mentioned the successive updates to the reimbursed medicines list carried out during his term:

• in November 2025, 41 new medicines and 10 extensions of therapeutic indications were introduced, including therapies for hypercholesterolaemia, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, and transthyretin amyloidosis;
• in March 2026, a further 33 new medicines and 19 extensions of indications followed, including for cardiovascular conditions and rare diseases.

The prevention chain, in four steps

The former minister summarised the entire approach as a sequence of four steps: prevention, early diagnosis, timely treatment, and continuous monitoring. In his view, adhering to these stages reduces the number of complications and hospital admissions and, ultimately, saves lives.

Rogobete expressed his gratitude to the team at the Romanian Heart Foundation, Prof. Dr Dragoș Vinereanu, and the community of cardiologists involved in prevention programmes, conveying the message that investing in prevention is not an additional cost, but lives gained.

What you can do on World Heart Day

• Speak with your GP about your personal cardiovascular risk.
• Have your cholesterol levels checked regularly, especially if you have a family history of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or diabetes, or if you are a smoker.
• If you are on cholesterol medication, take it as prescribed and attend your scheduled check-ups.
• Adopt a balanced lifestyle: a healthy diet, regular physical activity, and quitting smoking.