British Heart Foundation - Coronary Heart Disease Statistics 2004

New British Heart Foundation statistics show death rates from heart disease are falling - but the issue of people becoming overweight and succumbing to obesity is posing a major threat.

A staggering 2.7 million people are estimated to be living with coronary heart disease (CHD) in the UK - a number that is rising year on year. The statistics have been published by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) at the start of Heart Week 2004, running from 5-13 June.

The number of deaths is down from nearly 121,000 in 2001 to just under 117,500 in 2002, continuing the decline seen since the late 1970s. But with woeful trends in physical activity and widespread unhealthy diets, Britain now has the developed world's fastest growing rate of obesity.

The BHF statistics back up the House of Commons Health Committee's prediction last week that the UK's growing obesity epidemic is threatening to reverse the falling CHD mortality rate.

Click here to visit the British Heart Foundation's website for further information on the BHF annual statistics and their campaign 'the Big Red Flightback'.

eNews issue 5