Premature heart-related death rate high in Wolverhampton

Figures from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) revealed about 210 people died from conditions including heart attack and stroke in the city before reaching their 75th birthday.

About 3,900 premature deaths in the region happen each year, according to the data compiled this month, with as many as 380,000 living with undiagnosed high blood pressure.

A total of 1.5 million adults in the region – or one in three – are classed as obese, with about 380,000 adults having been diagnosed with diabetes.

Simon Gillespie, chief executive at BHF, said: “In the UK we’ve made phenomenal progress in reducing the number of people who die of a heart attack or stroke.

“But we’re seeing more people die each year from heart and circulatory diseases in the UK before they reach their 75th 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 of a heart attack or stroke.

“Only through the continued commitment of our researchers, the public’s generous support, and determination from governments can we ‘shift the dial’ and imagine a 2030 where fewer people live with the fear of heart and circulatory disease.”

It comes as the heart charity launched a new strategy and sets ambitions for the UK to halve premature death by 2030, after a report revealed it is on the rise for the first time in 50 years.

BHF also aims to halve the number of disabilities from strokes and increase heart attack survival to 90 per cent by that date by raising £1 billion to support further research.