Poor families ‘more likely’ to suffer illness

POOR families are more likely to suffer from heart attacks – even if they stick to a healthy diet, according to a study.

Research suggests the chances of getting cardiovascular disease is higher in people with low income or who live in low income neighbourhoods, even if they have access to healthy food.

The study focused on the effects of income, education and socioeconomic status on healthy people living in what researchers call “urban food deserts” in the Atlanta area of the United States. A “food desert” is defined as a location with both low access to healthy food and low income.

Researchers found those with high income who lived in an area with poor food access had better cardiovascular health than those with lower individual income who lived in similar area.

Overall, personal income appeared to be the most important driver of cardiovascular disease risk, scientists at Emory University School of Medicine said. AUTHOR Ian Rankin has backed an Edinburgh charity for disabled children which is faced with closure after 25 years.

Kindred provides support for parents of children with disabilities.

Christine Wright, whose son Cameron, 10, was mowed down by a stolen motorbike in an alleged hit and run incident in Edinburgh just last month, said she could not have coped without its emotional