British Heart Foundation: Coronary heart disease (CHD) was the leading cause of death for men aged 50 and over in 2013, according to latest figures. More than 36,000 deaths for men aged 50 and over were attributed to CHD in 2013.
Figures published by the Office for National Statistics show that CHD is still the leading cause of death in England and Wales.
Nearly 64,000 people died from coronary heart disease across England and Wales in 2013.
Leading cause of death amongst men
It was the leading cause of death
amongst men with 37,797 deaths from the disease, more than double the
next biggest killer, lung cancer.
For women, CHD killed 26,075 and was the second biggest killer in 2013 behind deaths attributed to dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Professor Peter Weissberg, our Medical
Director, said: “Coronary heart disease remains the single biggest
killer in the UK and continues to devastate thousands of families every
year.
“While these figures show that it is
clearly the leading cause of death for older men, it’s important to
remember that women are just as susceptible to coronary heart disease
and it is the second biggest killer among women of all ages.
“We've made great progress over the
last 50 years but we still need to fund much more research to stop
people dying needlessly, and to help the increasing number of people
living with heart disease.
“If you’re over 40 you’re entitled to a free NHS Health Check which can help you understand your risk of developing heart disease.”
“If you’re over 40 you’re entitled to a free NHS Health Check which can help you understand your risk of developing heart disease.”
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is when
your coronary arteries that supply your heart muscle with oxygen-rich
blood become narrowed by a gradual build-up of fatty material within
their walls.
If a piece of the fatty material breaks off it may cause a blood clot to form, which can block your coronary artery and lead to a heart attack.
If a piece of the fatty material breaks off it may cause a blood clot to form, which can block your coronary artery and lead to a heart attack.
Check your heart health
If you are worried about your heart health, use our heart age tool to check your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.