Nearly 100,000 more deaths involving heart conditions and stroke than usual since pandemic began

https://www.bhf.org.uk/what-we-do/news-from-the-bhf/news-archive/2023/june/100000-excess-deaths-cardiovascular-disease

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=819x0hs2yL8

Official excess deaths data

https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiYmUwNmFhMjYtNGZhYS00NDk2LWFlMTAtOTg0OGNhNmFiNGM0IiwidCI6ImVlNGUxNDk5LTRhMzUtNGIyZS1hZDQ3LTVmM2NmOWRlODY2NiIsImMiOjh9

Since the pandemic began

On average, over 500 additional deaths a week from cardiovascular disease

Included cardiovascular and cerebrovascular deaths

More excess deaths involving cardiovascular conditions than any other disease groups

A total of 96,540 extra cardiovascular deaths since February 2020

In the first year of the pandemic

Covid-19 infection drove high numbers of excess deaths,

Covid-19 have since fallen year-on-year,

the number of deaths involving cardiovascular disease have remained high above expected levels.

We believe that there are now other major factors likely driving the continued increase in excess deaths.

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

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, BHF Chief Executive

It is deeply troubling that so many more people with cardiovascular disease have lost their lives over the last three years.

For years now, it has been clear that we are firmly in the grip of a heart and stroke care emergency.

There is no time to waste – Government must take control of this crisis to give heart patients and their loved ones hope of a better and healthier future.

Latest figures

People waiting for time-sensitive cardiac care, 390,000

Average ambulance response times for heart attacks and strokes, above 30 minutes since the beginning of 2022

(December 2022 they breached 90 minutes)

Lack of primary health care

Concerns of a potential rise in heart problems linked to Covid-19

People with and without pre-existing heart conditions,

who caught Covid-19 before the vaccine roll-out, (i.e., in 2020)

40 % per cent more likely to develop cardiovascular disease,

five times more likely to die in the 18 months after infection.

BHF wants

Prioritisation of NHS heart care

Renewed focus on preventing the causes of cardiovascular disease

Supercharging cardiovascular research for new treatments and cures

Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, (Associate Medical Director)

Covid-19 no longer fully explains the significant numbers of excess deaths involving cardiovascular disease.

Then focuses on treatment difficulties

Iatrogenesis

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iatrogenic

Induced unintentionally by a physician or surgeon or by medical treatment or diagnostic procedures

Not mentioned