By province of residence, Zaragoza recorded 3,032 deaths from diseases of the circulatory system, Huesca 759 and Teruel 516. Across Aragón, 380 people died from acute myocardial infarction, 546 from heart failure and 976 from cerebrovascular diseases. These causes are included in the total of 4,307 deaths.
The scale of the problem is also reflected across Spain, where cardiovascular diseases caused more than 113,000 deaths in 2025. The Spanish Society of Cardiology (SEC) and the Spanish Heart Foundation (FEC) are now calling for special attention to patients who have already suffered a first episode.
Across Spain, these diseases caused more than 113,000 deaths in 2025, accounting for 25.73% of all deaths, according to figures compiled by the Spanish Society of Cardiology (SEC) and the Spanish Heart Foundation (FEC). Both organizations are using the commemoration to call for greater protection for patients who have already suffered a heart attack, stroke or another cardiovascular event.
THE RISK OF A SECOND HEART ATTACK
The risk of another episode explains the urgency of this request. According to data released by the SEC and the FEC, one in four patients who have suffered a myocardial infarction experiences another within the following two years. Among those with a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack, the cumulative risk of further episodes approaches 13% over the subsequent five years.
To prevent further episodes, cardiologists are calling for secondary prevention to be strengthened. This begins after a patient has suffered a first cardiovascular problem. It involves maintaining treatment and follow-up care, promoting healthy lifestyle habits and addressing risk factors that persist after discharge. This is the main demand put forward by the SEC and the FEC at an event held in the Senate.
These factors include high LDL cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, smoking and a sedentary lifestyle, which may occur together in the same person. “After a first cardiovascular event, the risk of suffering another episode does not disappear,” warns FEC president Andrés Íñiguez, who calls for continued follow-up “to ensure proper control of risk factors and act early when necessary”-
MORE FOLLOW-UP AFTER DISCHARGE
For his part, SEC president Ignacio Fernández-Lozano maintains that “secondary prevention requires coordinated and continuous care.” He therefore considers it “essential to strengthen collaboration between Primary Care and Cardiology” to ensure follow-up and act promptly. He also calls for more consistent care models to reduce inequalities between autonomous communities.
Since 2022, Spain has had a Cardiovascular Health Strategy within the National Health System that includes secondary prevention, cardiac rehabilitation and the control of risk factors. For the SEC and the FEC, the challenge is to advance its implementation: strengthen continuity of care, expand best practices and ensure that patient follow-up continues long after the first episode.
This framework is complemented by the European Safe Hearts plan, approved in December 2025, with measures for prevention, early detection and care. Scientific societies see both strategies as an opportunity to improve care for those who have already suffered a cardiovascular event. Their aim is to ensure that prevention does not stop after the acute phase and helps reduce the risk of a new complication.
