After a decade of rising early heart disease fatalities among under-75s, the NHS faces the “worst in living memory,” heart care catastrophe. Obesity, diabetes, and untreated high blood pressure are reversing progress made since the 1960s due to reduced smoking rates, enhanced surgical methods, and stents and statins. After the COVID-19 outbreak and recent medical strikes, long delays for tests and treatments exacerbate the issue.
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Heart Disease Crisis: UK Witnesses Alarming Surge in Under-75 Fatalities, BHF Warns of System Damage
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) found that 80 out of 100,000 English adults died from heart disease in 2022, the highest rate since 2011. A nearly 60-year trend has reversed as heart disease-related fatalities among the under-75s have risen for three years.
Doctor Sonya Babu-Narayan, BHF associate medical director, said the heart care system is seriously affected, harming prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and vital research.
The premature death rate for cardiovascular disease in the UK declined by only 11% between 2012 and 2019, compared to a 33% decrease between 2005 and 2012. The number of premature cardiovascular deaths in 2022 approached 39,000, a sharp increase from prior years. Dr. Babu-Narayan links the escalating situation to NHS pressure, the COVID-19 epidemic, and pre-existing warning indicators.
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UK Heart Health Crisis Sees Decade of Lost Progress, Demands Political Cooperation
The numbers show a decade of lost progress in lowering heart attack and stroke deaths, said BHF Chief Executive Dr. Charmaine Griffiths. She urged political cooperation to fight preventable diseases, minimize waitlists, and advance science.
NHS England’s cardiovascular disease prevention national adviser, Helen Williams, stressed prevention and assistance for managing problems. The problem highlights the necessity for a concerted response to UK heart disease’s escalating burden.
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