Heart disease to blame for 1 in 4 deaths in Britain

More than a quarter of all deaths in the UK are caused by heart disease.

Major risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol and atrial fibrillation – an abnormal heart rhythm.

But these conditions are significantly under-diagnosed and often sufferers do not have any symptoms. Some 15 million adults have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, but around half are unaware. Optimal blood pressure is 120 mmHg or less over 80 mmHg or less.

Lowering it one or two mmHg can have a big impact on reducing risk of heart and kidney disease, stroke and heart failure.

Around a third of atrial fibrillation sufferers are undiagnosed too, equating to around 500,000 people. The condition causes an irregular and sometimes very fast heartbeat. It increases the risk of stroke and can lead to dizziness, shortness of breath and tiredness.

High cholesterol can be inherited, known as familial hypercholesterolaemia, and it is thought most of the 120,000 of us with it are undiagnosed and untreated.