Le cardiometabolic diseases – including hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases such as ischemic heart disease and heart failure – represent one of the main challenges for European healthcare systems today. Every year, they cause approximately 4 million deaths and generate costs higher than 210 billion euros only for cardiovascular diseases, with important consequences on the quality of life of patients and their families.

To respond to this health and social emergency, a project has been launched IMPACT-MED, new European project funded by Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU) under the Horizon Europe programme, with the aim of transforming the prevention, early diagnosis and management of cardiometabolic diseases through a integrated, multidisciplinary, and patient-centered care model. The kick-off meeting of the project took place on 20 and 21 May at Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, in the presence of representatives from the academic, clinical, industrial and patient association worlds.

IMPACT-MED will have a duration of 60 months, from April 2026 to March 2031, and will be able to count on an overall budget of 22,9 million euroThe project is coordinated by UCBM and Medtronic and involves a consortium composed of 26 partners from 13 European countries.

The initiative will develop and validate a integrated cardiometabolic care model supported by a connected digital ecosystem, capable of integrating artificial intelligence, remote monitoring, clinical and patient-generated data, advanced imaging, biomarkers, and interoperable platforms.

The solutions developed by IMPACT-MED will be tested in real contexts through four use cases which will allow us to evaluate clinical effectiveness, patient experience, economic sustainability, and the possibility of integrating technologies into European healthcare systems.

  • Artificial Intelligence-Based Hypertension Management: the pilot study, developed in Spain by Medtronic Ibérica together with the Hospital Clínico San Carlos, will analyze how AI-based risk stratification, remote blood pressure monitoring, and digital patient engagement tools can improve blood pressure control and promote earlier diagnosis of cardiovascular complications.

  • Remote monitoring of cardiovascular diseases: In France, Medtronic France, AP-HP Hospitals, and the ACTION cardiovascular research network will evaluate the impact of remote monitoring and predictive analytics tools on the outpatient follow-up of patients with hypertension and previous myocardial infarctions, with the aim of improving continuity of care and reducing unnecessary hospitalizations.

  • Digital support for type 1 diabetesIn the UK, the project, developed by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust together with Medtronic International and DigiBete, will study how remote monitoring and personalized digital education can improve treatment adherence, disease self-management, and quality of care in children, adolescents, and young adults with type 1 diabetes.

  • Personalized care for type 2 diabetes and obesity.Developed in Denmark, this study combines the expertise of Perspectum (UK) and Siemens Healthineers (Germany and India) with the clinical and research capabilities of Steno Diabetes Centre (North Denmark) and Aalborg University. By integrating multiorgan phenotyping using advanced imaging techniques, blood-based biomarkers, patient-reported outcomes and experiences, and AI-based risk prediction tools, the study aims to support more personalised treatment decisions and improve outcomes for patients living with type 2 diabetes and obesity.

"IMPACT-MED was born from the belief that the future of cardiometabolic care lies in integration: not only of technologies, but also of disciplines, data and perspectives", states the Prof. Leandro Pecchia, Principal Investigator of the project at theUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma. "We want to demonstrate that precision medicine and person-centered care are not separate goals, but the same goal."

Secondo Jorge Posada, Head of Open Innovation and EU Project Management Office at Medtronic Ibérica, "Public-private collaboration is essential to transform technological innovation into a concrete and sustainable impact for patients and healthcare professionals.