British Heart Foundation release

Early heart disease deaths rise to 14-year high

Over 100,000 excess deaths involving cardiovascular conditions in England since February 2020

Heart and circulatory diseases cause around a quarter of all deaths in England,

Over 140,000 deaths each year,

or one death every four minutes.

Healthcare costs relating to heart and circulatory diseases, £8.3 billion each year.

The cost of cardiovascular disease to the wider economy in England,

(including premature death, disability and informal costs),

is estimated to be £22 billion each year.

Latest NHS England figures show that the number of people waiting for cardiac care at the end of November in England was 402,208.

The heart care waiting list is 72% larger than in February 2020.

This is an increase of 169,000 people – enough to fill Wembley stadium nearly twice over.

In 2022

Over 39,000 people in England died prematurely of cardiovascular conditions,

heart attacks, coronary heart disease and stroke,

an average of 750 people each week.

It is the highest annual total since 2008.

Since 2020, the premature death rate for cardiovascular disease has risen year-on-year

This is the first time there has been a clear reversal in the trend for almost 60 years.

The BHF says more analysis is needed to understand what is driving the trend.

Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, Associate Medical Director at the BHF and Consultant Cardiologist, said:

We are still seeing more people than expected die from cardiovascular conditions overall – more than any other disease group.

It’s clear to me that urgent intervention is long overdue.

In January 2023, the Government announced a Major Conditions Strategy to tackle the biggest drivers of ill health and early death in England