£50m grand challenge launched to tackle link between cardiovascular disease and health inequalities

We are pleased to be supporting a new ‘inequalities challenge’ launched by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

A young black man with a tight black hairstyle sits with his back to the camera on his own on a hospital bed surrounded by medical equipment

The new funding opportunity aims to invest £50 million into innovative new research in cardiovascular disease (CVD), aiming to tackle preventable causes of heart disease, save lives and reduce inequalities in this area across the UK.

The opportunity aims to generate high quality research to improve prevention, detection and monitoring of cardiovascular diseases. CVD contributes to over a quarter of all deaths in the UK (26 per cent), more than 170,000 deaths annually, but does not affect everyone equally.

This challenge will focus on tackling inequalities in higher risk groups such as ethnic minorities and in deprived communities. It also seeks to address inequalities in CVD outcomes between women and men.

The consortium will bring together leading experts from across the UK over five years to deliver research and build the research community to drive a step-change in cardiovascular outcomes.

A recent report into health inequalities by us, Bridging Hearts, emphasised that addressing health inequalities will be a critical part of recovering lost momentum when it comes to driving down rates of cardiovascular disease.

Tragically, people in the most deprived areas of the UK can expect to live in around 20 fewer years in good health than those in the least deprived, with CVD a significant driver of this. For example, the prevalence of risk factors for CVD, such as high blood pressure, is significantly higher in the most deprived areas.

Better treatment and management of these risk factors would not only drive better health outcomes for all, but reduce burden on the NHS.

Unfair disparities

Commenting on the launch of the challenges, our chief scientific and medical officer Professor Bryan Williams OBE said: “For far too long cardiovascular disease has helped fuel unfair disparities in life expectancy across the UK. It is unacceptable that where you live, your sex or your ethnicity can shape your chances of living a long life in good heart health. Better prevention and treatment of heart attack and stroke are key to driving down widening health inequalities we see across the country.

“We welcome this opportunity for the BHF to partner with NIHR to test bold, imaginative and collaborative strategies that will close the gap in health outcomes across the nation by better preventing heart disease before it starts. This significant research investment is designed to test news ways of delivering preventive healthcare nationwide, providing the care you need, when you need it, wherever you live, and whoever you are.”

The announcement is among NIHR’s responses to delivering the Government’s health and growth mission and NHS 10-year plan, with fewer lives lost to the biggest killers, an NHS that is there when people need it and a fairer Britain where everyone lives well for longer.

The challenge will look to fund research that has tangible outcomes and impact within the next few years, harnessing current knowledge and using innovation to ensure rapid progress.

Chief Scientific Adviser to the Department of Health and Social Care and CEO of the NIHR Professor Lucy Chappell said: "Cardiovascular disease is one the UK’s biggest killers, with substantial health and care inequalities, and a large longer-term disease burden on the NHS. It can be significantly preventable if people have the right early intervention and support.

“NIHR is calling for the research community and supporting organisations to join us in making a step change in this crucial area and find innovative ways to tackle this challenge to drive life-changing research, tackling these inequalities for the health and wealth of our nation.

“This work will integrate the three reform shifts of the health mission – from treatment to prevention, hospital to community, analogue to digital, and will provide an opportunity to drive economic growth for the country and support economic activity for individuals.”

Read our report on health inequalities