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British Heart Foundation Press Office – June 22, 2023

Nearly 100,000 more people with cardiovascular disease than expected have died since the start of the pandemic in England, according to our analysis published today.

There are likely many contributing factors, including extreme and widespread pressure on NHS services and Covid-19.

There have been more excess deaths involving cardiovascular conditions than any other disease groups in this analysis – a total of 96,540 since 21st March 2020, the analysis of data from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) finds.

In the first year of the pandemic, Covid-19 infection drove high numbers of excess deaths involving cardiovascular disease – an umbrella term for a range of heart and blood vessel conditions including heart attack and stroke.

But while deaths from Covid-19 have since fallen year-on-year, the number of deaths involving cardiovascular disease have remained high above expected levels [Appendix 1].

We believe that there are now other major factors likely driving the continued increase in excess deaths involving cardiovascular disease, including the severe, ongoing disruption to NHS heart care, and Covid-19 increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

We’re calling on the UK Government to take charge of the increasingly urgent cardiovascular disease crisis.

‘Deeply troubling’

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, our Chief Executive, said: “It is deeply troubling that so many more people with cardiovascular disease have lost their lives over the last three years. My heart goes out to every family who has endured the pain of losing a loved one, all too often in distressing circumstances.

 

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