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'Too many people are dealing with heart failure'

BHF Scotland A man with grey hair and a dark blue t-shirt looks at the camera BHF Scotland
Craig Murray's son and wife died as a result of a heart condition and he says tackling heart disease needs to be made more of a priority in Scotland

Scotland has seen the first sustained rise in deaths from heart disease in a generation, new analysis shows.

The rate of working-age adults dying from cardiovascular disease has jumped from 60 per 100,000 in 2019 to 68 deaths per 100,000 in 2023.

British Heart Foundation (BHF) Scotland said this trend risks reversing decades of "hard-won progress" to nearly halve annual deaths from conditions like heart attacks since the 1960s.

The charity called for a renewed focus on cardiovascular disease and the Scottish government said it had given a record funding settlement to the NHS this year.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the main causes of death and disability in the UK.

Analysis by BHF Scotland shows that cardiovascular deaths in working age adults aged 20 to 64 in Scotland rose by 14% from 2,032 in 2019, to 2,324 in 2023.

BHF Scotland said the reasons for Scotland's worsening heart health are complex but claimed there had been a "lack of meaningful action" by the Scottish Government over the last decade to address issues like obesity.

The Scottish government has a heart disease action plan and will shortly launch a population health framework which is focused on prevention.

'Something needs to change'

Craig Murray, 59, from Glasgow, lost his son, Chris, and wife, Linda, to a heart condition.

They both had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and Chris was just 22-years-old when he collapsed and died at work in 2017 after a sudden cardiac arrest.

Linda was taken into hospital in May last year for treatment related to her HCM but her condition deteriorated and she later died.

"When Linda was first diagnosed with HCM she was 30 and our son Chris was suspected to have it from age three. We didn't realise the severity of it at first," explained Craig.

"They were both on beta blockers for at least 19 years. After we lost Chris, Linda's case was reviewed, they re-looked at her symptoms like breathing difficulties.

"She managed her heart condition well for a long time but everything became more difficult in the last years of her life."

BHF Scotland A man in a checked shirt smiling at the camera next to a woman also smiling at the camera. She is wearing a striped shirt with a red top underneath BHF Scotland
Craig with his wife Linda, who would have become a grandmother this year

Craig said Scotland "needs to have difficult conversations" about heart disease.

He added: "It's important we're highlighting these issues – the statistics for heart patients going backwards, the management issues with NHS.

"Too many people are dealing with heart failure.

"Something needs to change and heart disease needs to be made more of a priority. We need more money, more research and much more awareness."

BHF Scotland Two men wearing suits with shirts and ties standing in front of the stands at Ibrox stadium BHF Scotland
Chris with his son Chris, who died aged 22 in 2017

BHF Scotland said the ongoing strain on the NHS was part of the reason behind the rise in heart disease deaths.

It pointed to big increases in the number of people waiting for heart-related out patient appointments and record rates of obesity.

Prof Bryan Williams, chief scientific and medical officer at the BHF, said it has been the worst start to a decade for heart health for half a century.

He added: "Research-driven innovation in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases has been one of the great success stories of modern medicine.

"However, these diseases remain one of the biggest yet most preventable causes of premature death and ill health.

"We need to act now to prevent the hard-won progress of recent decades being lost for future generations."

'Record funding'

Public health minister Jenni Minto said the Scottish government would shortly launch a population health framework which is focused on prevention.

She said: "We strongly share the ambition to improve Scotland's heart health and help people live longer, happier lives.

"A key part of this is ensuring that we create an environment which helps people to make healthier choices about their health which are critical to maintaining heart health – including stopping smoking, exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet.

"Through our heart disease action plan we are working to ensure timely and equitable access to diagnosis, treatment, and care for people with heart disease in Scotland."

The minister added the Scottish budget would ensure a "record funding settlement for the NHS" and said it would be invested in bringing down waiting times and making it easier to see a GP.