People born after 1960 now face a higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than previous generations. This marks the first sustained increase in heart-related deaths among working-age adults in at least a generation, reversing decades of medical progress.
Deaths among adults aged 20 to 64 from cardiovascular disease surged by 18 per cent between 2019 and 2023. The number rose from 18,693 to 21,975 deaths, averaging 420 fatalities per week across the UK.
Worst decade for heart health
The death rate climbed to 55 deaths per 100,000 people in 2023, up from 49 per 100,000 in 2019. According to the British Heart Foundation, this represents the worst start to a decade for heart health in half a century.
The trend reverses remarkable progress since the 1960s, when deaths from heart attacks and strokes had nearly halved. Scientific advances, improved medical treatments and falling smoking rates had driven this improvement over several decades.
Rising health crisis indicators
Heart failure diagnoses have surged by 21 per cent, reaching a record 785,000 patients compared to 650,000 previously. Cases of atrial fibrillation, a type of heart rhythm disorder, increased by 10 per cent to 1.62 million people.
Diabetes diagnoses among adults climbed 12 per cent to 4.6 million citizens, up from 4.1 million. Obesity rates also rose to 29 per cent of UK adults, affecting 16 million people compared to the previous 27 per cent.
The NHS cardiovascular treatment waiting list in England experienced an 82 per cent surge. The list reached 421,683 patients by February 2025, compared to 232,082 at the start of the decade.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, the British Heart Foundation's chief executive, said: "It's been the worst start to a decade for heart health for half a century, but we're entering an era of immense scientific opportunity that can turn this tide. By driving a research revolution, we can reverse this worrying trend and save more lives than ever before."
Sources used: "Mirror", "WalesOnline", "Bristol Post"
Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
