Heart Statistics

Disease •Coronary Heart Disease remains the number 1

killer in the UK.

•160,000 people die from heart and circulatory

disease.

•CHD (coronary heart disease) caused over

23,000 premature deaths in the UK.

•Every 7 minutes someone in the UK will have a

heart attack.

•Every 12 minutes someone in the UK will have

a stroke.

•Overall CVD (cardiovascular disease) is

estimated to cost the UK economy 19 billion -
46% direct healthcare costs, 34% productivity
losses and 20% to informal care of people with
CVD.
Factors that increase your risk What to do to minimise these
of heart disease risks
1) High Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in blood. Too much
bad cholesterol can increase your risk of CVD. It can cause
atheroma to build up inside artery walls, preventing enough
blood reaching the heart or other parts of the body. If a piece
of atheroma breaks off, a blood clot can form, blocking blood
supply to the heart (a heart attack) or the brain (a stroke).
2) High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is the force exerted by blood against your
artery walls as it circulates around the body. High blood
pressure means your blood pressure is equal to or higher
than the recommended level .
1) High Cholesterol
To reduce high cholesterol, you could possibly cut down on
the amounts of saturated fats you eat and make some
lifestyle choices. For example, you could switch to a healthier
diet and exercise a bit more.
2) High Blood Pressure
To reduce the risk of high blood pressure keep to a healthy
weight, cut down on salt and alcohol, stay physically active
and if you’ve been diagnosed make sure to take any
prescribed medication.

More Factors:
Diabetes and prediabetes
Smoking
Being overweight or obese
Being physically inactive
Having a family history of early heart disease
Having a history of preeclampsia during pregnancy
Unhealthy diet
Age (55 or older for women)
Symptoms of heart disease
The most common symptom is angina
(chest pain). Angina can be described as a
discomfort, heaviness, pressure, aching,
burning, fullness, squeezing, or painful
feeling in your chest.
Other symptoms include:
Shortness of breath
Palpitations
A faster heartbeat
Weakness or dizziness
Nausea
Sweating
If your arteries become completely
blocked, it can cause a heart attack
(myocardial infarction).
Heart attacks can permanently damage the
heart muscle and, if not treated straight
away, can be fatal.
POSSIBLE TREATMNETS
FOR HEART DISEASE
Antiplatelets
Antiplatelets are a type of medicine that can
help reduce the risk of a heart attack by
thinning your blood and preventing it clotting.
Statins
If you have a high cholesterol level, cholesterol-
lowering medicine called statins may be
prescribed.
Nitrates
Nitrates are used to widen your blood vessels.
Nitrates work by relaxing your blood vessels,
letting more blood pass through them. This
lowers your blood pressure and relieves any
heart pain you have.
 References
https://heartuk.org.uk/press/press-kit/ke
y-facts-figures

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educati
onal/hearttruth/lower-risk/risk-factors.ht
m

https
://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-matters-magazi
ne/medical/risk-factors

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronary-
heart-disease/treatment/