Heart and circulatory disease, also known as cardiovascular disease (CVD), causes a quarter of all deaths in the UK and is the largest cause of early death in deprived areas. This is the single biggest area where the NHS can save lives over the next 10 years.
CVD is largely preventable, through lifestyle changes and a combination of public health and NHS action on smoking and tobacco addiction, obesity, tackling alcohol misuse and improving the nutritional profile of food to make it healthier. By tackling these issues, we can help prevent heart attacks, strokes and dementia cases. Preventing, finding, and treating CVD early can help people live longer, healthier lives.
Too many people are still living with high-risk conditions they don’t know about such as high blood pressure, raised cholesterol, and atrial fibrillation (AF). Other countries have made more progress on identifying and treating people with these conditions.
Advances in digital technology will help the NHS to mirror the successes we have seen in other countries, and additional gains could be realised through better collaboration with employers in the public, private, and voluntary sectors.
These web pages provides a central hub of information and resources for professionals and patients. Many have been developed in collaboration with WYHCP colleagues, clinicians from across West Yorkshire building on local practice and national guidance. We also include links to local and national guidance (statuatory and charitable organisations, e.g. British Heart Foundation).
West Yorkshire Healthy Hearts aims to help reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke for people at highest risk.
In West Yorkshire, there are many people who are living with these high-risk conditions. Earlier detection and treatment will reduce the likelihood of a stroke, or a heart attack. Additionally, people living in the most deprived areas within our county are up to three times more likely to die from CVD. We need to do better to bridge this gap and improve the health of our poorest citizens, working in partnership with our communities.