Delivering the EU Safe Hearts Plan: the essential role of laboratory medicine in cardiovascular health

Abstract

The European Union Safe Hearts Plan provides an opportunity to strengthen cardiovascular prevention, early detection, treatment, and monitoring across Europe. This EFLM position paper argues that laboratory medicine must be recognized as a central component of its implementation. Reliable and harmonized laboratory data underpin cardiovascular risk assessment, diagnosis, therapeutic guidance, longitudinal monitoring, and evaluation of population outcomes. Beyond the minimum health-check dataset, tiered and personalized pathways should integrate established biomarkers, specialist testing, and validated emerging technologies. EFLM proposes five priorities: embedding laboratory expertise in governance; translating core testing into personalized pathways; expanding equitable access through quality-assured decentralized models; linking testing to clinical action and value-based financing; and accelerating responsible innovation while strengthening professional capability. By connecting screening with diagnosis, treatment, and measurable outcomes, laboratory medicine can provide the quality, interpretation, and data infrastructure required to transform the Safe Hearts Plan from policy ambition into equitable cardiovascular health gains across Europe.