It has been warned that Northern Ireland’s heart health is at ‘tipping point’
A new survey commissioned by a charity has revealed the dangerous misconceptions about heart health currently held by the Northern Ireland public.
Two in five (41%) of those surveyed believe that heart disease symptoms appear suddenly, similar to how they are portrayed in films or TV, and nearly a quarter (23%) think it’s only those aged 60+ who are at risk of heart disease, despite new data showing that on average 500 working age adults die a year from cardiovascular disease in Northern Ireland.
Some 39% of people in NI have never discussed heart health with a professional, with women less likely to discuss their heart health than men.
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While heart health knowledge may be lacking, the survey found that nearly three-quarters of those here (71%) personally know someone who has experienced heart disease.
British Heart Foundation is driving awareness ahead of World Heart Day on Monday, September 29, as the local heart charity recently revealed Northern Ireland’s heart health has seen a decline since the start of the decade, with 4,227 deaths across all ages due to cardiovascular disease in 2023, the highest since 2012.
Fearghal McKinney, head of BHF NI, said that recent stats paint a stark picture of the devastating impact of cardiovascular disease.
“The sad reality is that each month, around 350 families in Northern Ireland will lose a loved one to cardiovascular conditions like a heart attack and stroke. We have seen record high numbers of heart disease and risk factors in Northern Ireland since the start of the decade, with numbers of cardiovascular deaths in 2023 at their highest since 2012.”
He added: “We know how much it matters. And we know we can make a difference. We are determined to give people more time with their loved ones by powering an era of immense scientific opportunity to give people healthier hearts, for longer.”
BHF’s new strategy focuses on three key priorities:
- Reimagining prevention through advances in data science and AI
- Significantly increasing investment in UK cardiovascular research
- Ensuring health systems radically improve care for people with heart conditions.
By 2035, the charity says it wants the UK to prevent at least 125,000 heart attacks and strokes, reduce early deaths from cardiovascular disease by 25%, and reduce the number of years lost to heart-related ill health by a quarter.
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