Quantifying Cardiovascular Disease Burden and Quality of Care Index across Four Visegrád Countries

Abstract Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have surged to become the leading cause of premature death in Europe. Yet, analyses examining the Quality of Care Index (QCI) and CVD burden within the 4-Visegrád (4V) nations remain notably sparse. This study aims to address this gap by comprehensively assessing both the QCI and CVDs burden across these countries. Methods The burden of CVDs was assessed using data extracted from the GBD-study 2019. We employed min-max normalization to standardize each health indicator, including Mortality-to-Incidence Rate, Prevalence-to-Incidence Rate, Disability-Adjusted Life Years-to-Prevalence rate, and Years of Life Lost-to-Years Lived with Disability. Subsequently, we utilized a weighted sum approach to aggregate the normalized values of the health indicators. The QCI was then derived as the sum of the products of normalized values and their corresponding weights. Results In 2019, age-standardized rates (per 100,000) significantly decreased compared to those in 1990. Ischemic heart disease remained the primary cause of death in all 4V countries, followed by stroke. Czechia exhibited the most substantial reduction in 2019 compared to the rates in 1990, with incidence and mortality rates decreasing by -252.55 and -308.95, respectively. Poland demonstrated the highest reduction, compared to the Central European average rates, in both incidence (-113.73; 95% CI: -125.08_-103.79) and death rates (-74.79; 95% CI: -73.53_-75.31) in 1990, and in 2019 (-175.22; 95% CI: -169.52_-178.29 and -41.55; 95% CI: -40.12_-40.64, respectively). Poland scored highest in QCI among the 4V countries, with Czechia scoring the lowest. Conclusions The findings underscore the imperative for continued efforts to boost cardiovascular healthcare and outcomes in the region. While the reduced ratio signals improvement, there remain avenues for refining disease management, prevention strategies, and access to care to further enhance patient outcomes. Key messages • Our study on 4V nations’ QCI and CVD burden underscores urgent need for sustained efforts in cardiovascular healthcare, with notable rate reductions since 1990. • Challenges persist in managing heart disease and stroke in the 4-Visegrád (4V) countries.