This finding pertains to the three most common conditions: ischemic heart disease, stroke, and heart failure. As the second leading cause of death in France, with 140,000 deaths, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases as a whole account for more than one million hospitalizations among adults each year. They represent a considerable burden on public health and the healthcare system, with significant social and regional disparities. Following the publication in March 2025 of a BEH Special Issue, these regional data further highlight the marked disparities between regions and the need to strengthen prevention efforts among the general population and healthcare professionals, as well as to ensure prompt care and long-term follow-up for patients with these conditions throughout the country. Strengthening prevention to effectively reduce associated risk factors, such as tobacco use or unhealthy diets, is necessary. Santé publique France is therefore launching a campaign on the new Nutri-Score calculation to promote its use. A study shows that among people consuming a diet of lower nutritional quality, as assessed by the Nutri-Score algorithm, the risk of cardio-neuro-vascular diseases is increased.

Significant regional disparities

In 2022, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases resulted in 1.2 million hospitalizations and 140,000 deaths among adults in France, accounting for more than one in five deaths.

The results published today in region-specific reports (with the exception of Mayotte, Saint-Barthélemy, and Saint-Martin) provide an overview of the three most common cardio-neuro-vascular conditions: ischemic heart disease, strokes, and heart failure.

Presented at the regional, departmental, and—for the first time—sub-departmental (EPCI) levels, these data reveal significant disparities across regions:

• For ischemic heart disease (such as myocardial infarction), several regions have standardized incidence rates of hospitalized patients and standardized prevalence rates well above those observed for France as a whole. Each year, on average at the national level, 459 people per 100,000 inhabitants are hospitalized for ischemic heart disease. This standardized rate exceeded 500 per 100,000 in Corsica (577), Grand-Est (563), Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur (554), and Occitanie (519), and reached 491 per 100,000 in Réunion. Conversely, these rates were lower in Brittany (401), the Pays de la Loire (389), Île-de-France (403), French Guiana (322), Martinique (235), and Guadeloupe (238). Among the French population, 5.5% of adults had a personal history of ischemic heart disease, meaning they had experienced this condition in the previous 10 years, possibly with long-term effects affecting their quality of life and requiring ongoing monitoring and treatment. In the regions of Corsica, Grand Est, Normandy, and Réunion, this standardized percentage reached or exceeded 6%, whereas it was less than 5% in Pays de la Loire, Brittany, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, and Martinique. Finally, the annual mortality rate from ischemic heart disease averaged 59 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in France. After standardization, it reached 81 per 100,000 in Réunion, 71 in Normandy, and 67 in Hauts-de-France, Centre-Val-de-Loire, and Brittany.

• For strokes, the overseas departments (Réunion, French Guiana, Martinique, and Guadeloupe) recorded the highest standardized rates of incidence of hospitalized patients (between 291 and 384 per 100,000), prevalence (2.4% to 3.3% of the population), and mortality, 83 to 98 deaths per 100,000), and well above those observed for France as a whole (231 hospitalizations per 100,000, 2.0% of the adult population, 58 deaths per 100,000). In mainland France, standardized incidence rates were highest in Brittany (259) and in Hauts-de-France (254).

• For heart failure, the standardized incidence rates of hospitalized patients and prevalence are higher in Réunion, the Hauts-de-France region, and Normandy than in France as a whole (incidence of hospitalized patients: 344 per 100,000; prevalence: 2.5% of the adult population). In these regions, the standardized incidence rate exceeds 400 per 100,000.

Intra-regional disparities in incidence, prevalence, and mortality are also observed at the departmental or sub-departmental level. These primarily reflect differences in the epidemiology of cardio-neuro-vascular risk factors, thereby necessitating strengthened prevention efforts. They are also the result of observed differences in case severity, prognosis, healthcare utilization, and the immediate and long-term management of these conditions. These data, presented for the first time at such a granular geographic level (EPCI), will enable Regional Health Agencies (ARS), health authorities, local governments, and on-the-ground stakeholders to further guide and adapt their public policies to better meet the needs of regions and populations, particularly through local health contracts.

All these cardiovascular health indicators are available as open data on Odissé.

The Key Role of Diet in Preventing Cardiovascular and Neurological Diseases

A large part of the observed disparities can be explained by epidemiological differences in exposure to various cardiovascular risk factors. Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases have multifactorial origins, involving behavioral risk factors such as tobacco and/or alcohol use, nutrition (diet, physical activity, and sedentary lifestyle), and metabolic risk factors such as hypertension (HTN), diabetes, or high LDL cholesterol.

Nutrition is a major determinant of health, and the link to certain serious chronic diseases is well established. In fact, 47% of the population is overweight, 17% is obese, 30% has high blood pressure, and 7% has diabetes. Furthermore, more than 70% of French adults do not consume enough fruits and vegetables, and more than 80% have a diet that is too high in salt. By promoting a varied and balanced diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, and fiber, and low in sugars and saturated fats, it is possible to help significantly reduce the risks associated with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Furthermore, a prospective study conducted among European adults (the EPIC Cohort) evaluated the new version of the Nutri-Score algorithm and shows that among people consuming a diet of lower nutritional quality—as assessed by the algorithm underlying Nutri-Score—the risk of cardiovascular disease is increased.

Since its creation, Santé publique France has overseen its rollout and provided regular updates to the general public. In late June, the Agency launched a new educational campaign on Nutri-Score. Indeed, more than seven years after its launch in France, the method for calculating the Nutri-Score has evolved to better fulfill its dual objective: to inform consumers clearly and transparently about the nutritional quality of the products they buy and to encourage food industry professionals to improve the composition of their products. The rules for calculating the score have been revised to better reflect scientific knowledge and official dietary recommendations. In particular, it makes it easier to identify high-fiber foods and assigns stricter ratings to sugary and salty foods. As of January 2025, 1,416 companies in France were participating in the Nutri-Score initiative, demonstrating strong momentum driven by a voluntary, rather than regulatory, approach.