There are more than 7.6 million people living with a heart or circulatory disease in the UK.
New British Heart Foundation data shows there’s been a worrying rise in the number of under-65s dying from heart problems since 2020.
In Surrey, heart and circulatory diseases caused 217 deaths in people of working age in 2023, that’s up 10% in 5 years.
There’s also been a 33% rise in the number of people diagnosed with heart failure in the county in that time.
The reasons for the UK’s worsening heart health are complex and varied.
However, the BHF points to an increasingly unhealthy population, widening health inequalities, Covid-19, unprecedented pressure on the NHS, and a lack of meaningful action over the last decade to address many of the causes of heart disease and stroke, such as obesity.
