Cancer overtakes heart disease as main cause of death in UK

With over 17 million deaths globally, cancer has overtaken cardiovascular disease as the main cause of death in 12 European countries, including the UK.

Research published in the European Heart Journal has revealed that although cardiovascular disease causes more than four million deaths each year, success in preventing and treating the disease has led to large decreases in the disease in a number of countries.

Dr Nick Townsend, senior researcher at the British Heart Foundation Centre (BHF), said: “The 12 countries in which cancer has overtaken cardiovascular disease as the main cause of death are all found in Western Europe, with nine of them having been members of the EU before 2004. The highest numbers of deaths from cardiovascular disease tend to be seen in Eastern European countries.”

Despite cancer accounting for less than half the number of deaths than cardiovascular disease in Europe as a whole, in nine of the 15 countries which were members of the European Union before 2004 (EU-15), more men now pass away from cancer than cardiovascular disease. These countries are: Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and the UK. Among women, more pass away from cancer than cardiovascular disease in Denmark and Israel.

There are more than four million deaths from cardiovascular disease across Europe each year, including more than 150,000 in the UK. However, research shows that 87,511 men passed away from cancer in 2013 compared to 79,935 from cardiovascular disease.

According to the NHS, cardiovascular disease is an umbrella term used to refer to conditions that affect the heart or blood vessels, such as coronary heart disease and stroke.

Dr Townsend continued: “Although we have seen progress across Europe in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease and leading to decreases in mortality, it is clear that such progress is not consistent across the continent. With higher mortality from cardiovascular disease still found in Eastern Europe and non-EU countries, it is clear the progress that has been made in Western Europe and most EU countries is yet to be achieved equally throughout the region.”

Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), which funded the study, added: “Our research has helped halve the annual number of deaths from cardiovascular disease in the UK since the BHF was created more than 50 years ago. This study is a reminder of the tremendous progress that has been made in fighting heart disease in the UK and across Western Europe.

“But we cannot be complacent. Around seven million people in the UK are living with cardiovascular disease. We urgently need to improve treatments and care for these people who are living with the pain, distress and disability caused by heart disease and stroke. Research will make the discoveries that will drive those improvements and help us to transform people’s lives.”

The authors of the study call for monitoring and surveillance of cardiovascular disease in order to help countries in Europe work towards reducing the inequalities across the continent.

“We need more research into why some countries are showing improved outcomes, while others are not,” said Dr Townsend. “Improved data needs to be collected in all countries in order to make comparisons on deaths and suffering from cardiovascular disease between countries so that health professionals and national Governments can target interventions more effectively to reduce inequalities.”