Nearly half of women in Europe die from heart disease

Cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attacks and strokes, is the cause of death for nearly half of all women in Europe, according to a new study.

The research funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) also revealed that it is the main cause of death in Europe accounting for nearly half of all deaths. Eastern Europe has higher death rates than Western Europe, with death rates from cardiovascular disease in the UK dropping by more than 40 per cent over a decade.

The drop in death rates in the UK is thought to be down to healthier lifestyles and more widespread use of statins. Health watchdog NICE altered its advice last year and now encourages GPs to prescribe statins to anyone with a 10 per cent chance of cardiovascular disease.

The analysis, led by Dr Nick Townsend, senior researcher at the BHF Centre on Population Approaches for Non-Communicable Disease Prevention at the University of Oxford, showed 49 per cent of all women in Europe die due to cardiovascular disease, compared to 40 per cent of men.

The BHF’s chief Executive, Simon Gillespie, said: “This analysis is a powerful reminder that cardiovascular disease remains Europe's biggest killer, despite the advances we've made in preventing and treating heart conditions through medical research. We can't be fooled into thinking the battle against heart disease is won.

"For women the figures are particularly worrying – almost half of the women in Europe die from heart attacks or strokes. This shows the urgent need to fund more research towards faster, more accurate diagnosis and more effective treatments, alongside work to help prevent people developing heart and circulatory diseases in the first place.”

He added: “The differences in cardiovascular disease deaths between the European nations are also concerning. Through the European Heart Network, an alliance of heart charities, we are working together to share resources and expertise, while funding research, to help reduce deaths and suffering from this heartless condition across the continent.”

The research is further evidence of the need for more research into improved diagnosis and treatment of heart and circulatory conditions, as well as more activity to prevent them occurring at all, according to the charity.

The BHF has also just released figures showing that heart attacks kill nearly 200 people each week before retirement age, with nearly 10,000 people across the UK suffering a fatal heart attack before reaching the age of 65 in 2014.