Death rates from heart attacks and strokes plummet in a decade

August 22, 2016

In last decade alone, mortality rates have dropped by more than 40%
But heart disease remains a massive burden on the NHS, experts warn
Hospital admissions for cardiovascular problems are at an all-time high
Doctors suspect this is partly due to sedentary lifestyle and poor diet

Ben Spencer Medical Correspondent For The Daily Mail

Published:
17:30 EST, 22 August 2016

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Updated:
17:30 EST, 22 August 2016

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In the last decade, death rates from heart attacks and strokes have dropped by more than 40 per cent

Death rates from heart attacks and strokes in Britain have dropped by more than 70 per cent in 35 years, scientists report today.

Rapid medical advances, better drugs and the creation of dedicated heart units mean far more people survive cardiovascular problems, the Oxford University research suggests.

In the last decade alone, mortality rates have dropped by more than 40 per cent, the analysis shows.

But experts warn that while death rates have dropped – from more than 900 cardiovascular deaths per 100,000 people in 1979, to well under 300 in 2013 – heart disease remains a massive burden on the NHS.

Hospital admissions for cardiovascular problems are at an all-time high, which experts suspect is partly due to sedentary lifestyle and poor diet.

Despite the dramatic fall in deaths, admissions for heart problems actually rose 11 per cent in England and 15 per cent in Wales over the last decade.

There were 1.69 million hospital visits, including ordinary admissions and day cases, for cardiovascular disease in 2013/14 across the UK, up from 1.64 million in 2010/11.

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The research, published in the BMJ journal Heart, showed that heart disease death rates decreased by 72 per cent in England, 70 per cent in Wales, 71 per cent in Scotland and 76 per cent in Northern Ireland between 1979 and 2013.

Experts think this is down to improved treatment – including clot busting drugs, better ambulance response times and use of stents in hospitals to mean that people who do have heart attacks and strokes are more likely to survive.

The use of cholesterol-busting statins for people who have survived a heart attack or stroke also reduces the chance of the problem recurring.

But hospital admissions for cardiovascular problems are at an all-time high, which experts suspect is partly due to sedentary lifestyle and poor diet (file photo)

Researcher Dr Nick Townsend said: ‘Despite large reductions in mortality from cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke, these conditions have remained a substantial burden to the UK, with rises in treatment and hospital admissions.’

Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director of the British Heart Foundation, which funded the study said: ‘Research has shown that immediate hospital treatment is the best way to ensure a good outcome for patients suffering a heart attack or stroke.

‘And this is one of the reasons why death rates have fallen so much over recent decades.

‘Yet coronary heart disease is still the single biggest killer in the UK and this research shows that the number of people being rushed to hospital with cardiovascular disease, including heart attack or stroke, is increasing.

Four out of five strokes could be prevented by a change in lifestyle and taking the right drugs, the Stroke Association said

‘We urgently need to fund more research to find a way to eradicate our society of atherosclerosis, the principle cause of heart attacks and strokes.’

Four out of five strokes could be prevented by a change in lifestyle and taking the right drugs, the Stroke Association said.

Dr Richard Francis, head of research awards at the charity, said: ‘We welcome the study which shows there has been a decrease in the number of deaths from stroke.

‘However the study also reveals the prevalence of stroke has not changed, highlighting more work is needed to reduce the number of people developing these diseases.

At least 80 per cent of strokes can be prevented by changing lifestyle and taking the appropriate medications.

‘Having regular blood pressure checks, eating healthily, getting active and stopping smoking can make a big difference in reducing one’s risk of stroke.’