Excess deaths from cardiovascular disease in England reach 100,000 since start of pandemic

Nearly 100,000 more people than expected died from cardiovascular disease in the UK in the three years since the pandemic began, according to a new analysis from the British Heart Foundation.

Data so far this month show an average of 500 more deaths per week from cardiovascular disease since the pandemic began.

A number of factors contributed to the figures, released by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), including COVID-19 itself, extreme pressure on the NHS, healthcare disruptions, changes in patient behavior and worsening public health. It is highly likely that said the charity.

The report said the number of patients waiting for time-sensitive heart care in the UK hit a record high of about 390,000 at the end of April, while the average ambulance response time for heart attacks and strokes was He pointed out that it has consistently exceeded 30 minutes since the start of the UK. 2022.

The analysis found that there were 96,540 excess cardiovascular disease-related deaths from March 2020 to May this year, more than any other disease group.

Incidence also changed over time, with excess mortality from cardiovascular disease due to COVID-19 increasing in the first year, with more than 50% of deaths exceeding expectations occurring.

Excess deaths related to cardiovascular disease declined significantly in the second year of the pandemic and increased again by 13,000 in the third year.

According to the BHF, in the third year of the pandemic, the number of excess deaths related to cardiovascular disease is about 19,400 more than the number of deaths whose underlying cause is COVID-19, although cardiovascular disease is mentioned. It is said that it surpassed the number of people.

The charity warned that the UK government needs to address the increasingly urgent cardiovascular crisis.

Dr. Charmaine Griffiths, BHF “It is very concerning that more people with cardiovascular disease have died in the last three years,” he said. My heart goes out to all the families who have endured the pain of losing loved ones in tragic circumstances.

“For years, it has been clear that we are firmly in a state of heart and stroke care emergency. This would undermine decades of scientific progress to reduce the number of deaths from heart attacks and strokes.”

BHF Associate Medical Director and Consultant Cardiologist Dr Sonya Babu Narayan said COVID-19 can no longer fully explain the substantial excess mortality associated with cardiovascular disease. .

“Other major factors may have contributed, such as the extreme and relentless pressure on the NHS over the past few years.

“Long waits for cardiac care are risky, increasing the risk of avoidable hospitalization, disability from heart failure and premature death. , people are struggling to get potentially life-saving heart care when they need it, due to lack of NHS staff and space.”

“We are reducing waiting lists, shortening ambulance response times, increasing staffing and improving access to blood pressure and health checks,” a government spokesman said.

“We recognize that there is still work to be done, which is why we are discussing key disease strategies to tackle cardiovascular disease, including stroke and diabetes, opening 108 regional diagnostic centers, We have provided over 4 million tests, scans and tests to date for people with cardiovascular disease.

“The government also plans to work with NHS England to combat some of the causes of cardiovascular disease, support increased physical activity, reduce obesity rates and encourage people to quit smoking.”

Labor’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: “These tragic findings indicate that the Conservative Party has been understaffing the NHS for 13 years, failing to provide more care to communities and prevent disease. It’s the result of that,” he said.

“The mission of the next Labor government will be to cut deaths from heart disease and stroke by a quarter within ten years. We will achieve that by reinventing ourselves to suit.”

Person who has been infected with new coronavirus infectious disease A study published in 2022 may increase the risk of developing cardiovascular complications in the following year.