Lockdown led to 1,750 extra heart deaths

FEARS of catching coronavirus in hospital led to more than 1,750 people than normal dying of strokes, heart attacks and other cardiac problems because they ignored warning signs and stayed at home, according to a shocking new study.

Lockdown led to a huge surge in out-of-hospital deaths from cardiovascular disease ( CVD), Leeds University researchers found.

In total, 1,752 more people died from heart and blood-vessel problems in late March, April and May than would normally be the case.

Cardiovascular deaths in care homes were 40 per cent higher than usual, while such deaths in private homes leapt by 34 per cent. By contrast, there was no increase in CVD deaths inside hospitals.

The study found all adult age groups were adversely affected, with cardiac deaths in 18-to-49-yearolds 17 per cent higher than usual.

Stati s t i cs professor Ji anhua Wu said the displacement of deaths from hospitals to the community ‘most likely signifies that people either did not seek help or were not referred to hospital during the pandemic’.

Given that the surge started as the official lockdown began in late March and peaked in early April, ‘Government directives at the time including the onset of UK lockdown, could have accentuated the public response’ in avoiding hospitals, he said. The study is due to be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Last night, consultant cardiologist Dr Sukhjinder Nijjer said the figures were ‘entirely consistent’ with what specialist doctors saw in lockdown – half-empty coronary care units. Hospital attendances for heart attacks were 40 per cent down on spring 2019, with the biggest drops in March and April.

Dr Nijjer, president- elect for cardiology at the Royal Society of Medicine, added: ‘These data show the unintended consequences of the Stay At Home messaging and the lockdown.’

The ‘Save the NHS’ message also played a part, he argued, as it made some reluctant to come in as they did not want to over-burden hospitals. People with heart disease were still declining important protective procedures like bypass surgery or stents, he warned, putting them at increased risk of a heart attack.

‘Part of the reason, is they are afraid of catching the virus in hospital,’ he added. ‘Although we can’t remove that risk, I’d say it’s now as low as it’s ever been in this crisis.’

He also revealed his fears that thousands more could die or be left seriously debilitated by heart failure and stroke. ‘If you’ve got genuine symptoms, please come in – we are waiting to treat people,’ he said.