Younger people dying from heart disease in first rise for 50 years

DEATHS from heart disease among under-75s are on the rise for the first time in 50 years, figures reveal.

Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity are all playing a role in driving up deaths among younger people, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) said.

A report from the charity said the historic pace of progress “has slowed to a near standstill”, with heart and circulatory disease deaths in people under 75 now on the rise.

Millions of people are also living with undiagnosed conditions, including high blood pressure and diabetes, that increases their risk of a fatal heart attack or stroke.

“These factors, combined with a growing population, mean that increasing numbers of people are now dying from heart and circulatory diseases before their 75th, or even 65th, birthdays for the first time in more than 50 years,” the report said.

In 2017, 42,384 people died from heart and circulatory diseases in the UK before the age of 75, a rise of just over three per cent on the 41,042 in 2014. Among under-65s, there were 18,668 deaths in 2017, up almost four per cent on the 17,982 five years earlier.

In the previous five years, there had been a 19 per cent decline among under-65s. Until recently, those dying from heart and circulatory disease had reduced by 75 per cent since 1971.

Circulatory diseases include stroke and diseases of the arteries. They include peripheral arterial disease, aortic aneurysm and carotid artery disease.

The BHF wants the UK to halve premature death and disability from strokes, while increasing heart attack survival to 90 per cent by 2030.

Simon Gillespie, the chief executive of the BHF, said: “In the UK, we’ve made phenomenal progress. But we’re seeing more people die each year from heart and circulatory diseases in the UK before they reach their 75th, or even 65th, birthday. We are deeply concerned by this reversal.

“Heart and circulatory diseases remain a leading cause of death in the UK, with millions at risk because of conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes.

“We need to work in partnership with governments, the NHS and medical research community to increase research investment and accelerate innovative approaches to diagnose and support the millions of people at risk.”

Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, said: “This must make Whitehall sit up and take tackling obesity seriously. Decades of inaction has led us to this but, even if we do get action, it’ll be well into the 2030s before we see achievement.”