The number of people in the UK dying from heart and circulatory diseases before they reach their 75th birthday is on the rise for the first time in 50 years, according to the latest national health statistics.
The figures show an upward trend in deaths since 2014, with 42,384 people dying from conditions including heart attack and stroke in the UK before the age of 75 in 2017, compared to 41,042 three years earlier.
The number of deaths caused by heart and circulatory diseases in under 65s is also increasing, peaking at 18,668 in 2017, up from 17,982 five years earlier. This represents a 4% rise in the last five years, compared to a 19% decline in the five years before.
Simon Gillespie, British Heart Foundation Chief Executive, said: “In the UK we’ve made phenomenal progress in reducing the number of people who die of a heart attack or stroke. But we’re seeing more people die each year from heart and circulatory diseases in the UK before they reach their 75th, or even 65th, birthday. We are deeply concerned by this reversal.”