Tackling health inequalities essential to driving improvements in cardiovascular disease, says new report

Addressing health inequalities will be a critical part of recovering lost momentum when it comes to driving down rates of cardiovascular disease, according to our new report, Bridging Hearts. 

The report, which is the first produced by us on health inequalities, takes three lenses on the issue: deprivation, sex and ethnicity. Drawing on a wide range of sources, Bridging Hearts illustrates the complex and varied reasons why cardiovascular health drives inequalities in the UK. The report also sets out a wide range of policy recommendations which will be first steps in addressing health inequalities. 

Deprivation 

Bridging Hearts sets out the deep links between deprivation and risk of cardiovascular disease, highlighting that in every UK nation, more deprived people are at greater risk of dying prematurely from heart disease.

The report points to a range of factors which contribute to this trend, including higher rates of obesity and smoking, less effective detection and management of conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Patients from deprived areas also have less planned treatment than those in affluent areas, and also struggle to access cardiac rehabilitation.   

Sex 

The report explores the varied ways that sex and inequalities interact with cardiovascular disease. It highlights that more men live with and die from cardiovascular disease, with deprivation and geography influencing men’s health outcomes.

Bridging Hearts also shines a light on the significant barriers women face when it comes to receiving timely and effective care – ranging from misdiagnosis caused by clinical bias through to inadequate treatment and management of cardiovascular disease in women. Women have also historically been poorly represented in cardiovascular research, meaning knowledge gaps drive inequalities women experience. 

Ethnicity 

The link between ethnicity and cardiovascular disease is complex and nuanced, the report finds, with as many differences existing within “minority groups” in terms of cardiovascular health as there are between White and non-White groups. Evidence cited in the report suggests that people from South Asian backgrounds are at a significantly higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease than White groups.

There is also variation in the way clinical risk factors – for example people from Black African and Caribbean and Pakistani backgrounds are at higher risk of developing high blood pressure. Access to and experience of healthcare systems across the UK is also varied by ethnic group – with a range of cultural and communication barriers highlighted.

Commenting on the report, our chief executive Dr Charmaine Griffiths said: 

“The story of heart disease over the past six decades has been one of hard fought progress, thanks to scientists, policy makers and others who have driven progress. But the story is far from over – and the burden of heart disease is far from shared equally. 

“Cardiovascular disease is one of the biggest drivers of health inequalities across all our four nations, a price that people pay in both length of life, as well as quality of life 

“We must do better - we cannot accept a world in which someone’s chances of living in good health, or staying well enough to enjoy our later years, are set by factors such as where we are from, our sex, or our ethnicity.” 
 
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