BHF comment
What does the Men’s Health Strategy mean for male heart health?
The UK Government’s inaugural Men’s Health Strategy for England was announced yesterday, on International Men’s Day 2025.
The landmark strategy aims to help tackle health challenges faced by men and boys – including cardiovascular disease.
What is the Men’s Health Strategy?
Men and boys across England are set to benefit from tailored healthcare and support following the launch of the Government’s first ever Men’s Health Strategy.
This major plan outlines an approach to addressing the physical and mental health challenges men face throughout their lives.
The strategy recognises that men are often less likely to seek help and more likely to suffer in silence. Combined with higher rates of smoking, alcohol consumption and other risk factors, this has contributed to poorer health outcomes for men, impacting families, workplaces and communities across the country.
How it will help heart health
Crucially for us, the strategy highlights the urgent need to tackle preventable killers such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), which remains one of the leading causes of death among men in England. Men are disproportionately affected by CVD, and many cases are diagnosed too late.
By improving access to healthcare, addressing barriers to seeking support, and ensuring men and boys’ environments support their health, the Government aims to help men live longer, healthier lives. The strategy forms part of a wider commitment to reduce health inequalities and ensure that conditions like heart disease are detected earlier and managed effectively.
Evidence suggests that men are less likely to access healthcare services, and more likely to engage in health-harming behaviours, such as smoking.
We are pleased to see Government reiterate a number of commitments in this strategy that can help tackle CVD, including a Modern Service Framework (MSF) for CVD, increased investment in local stop smoking services, and improved uptake of the NHS Health Check. We are hopeful that effective implementation of this strategy will support improved outcomes in men and boys’ cardiovascular health.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, our Chief Executive said: “Cardiovascular disease is one of the UK's biggest killers of men, claiming the lives of more than one in four of our brothers, fathers, uncles and sons. Today’s strategy for England is a vital step forward in tackling this major health challenge.
“CVD doesn’t affect all men equally, so we fully back ambitions to improve the health and wellbeing of all men and boys by meeting them where they are and increasing the support available for them in their local community.
“We are pleased to see Government recognise the important role environmental and social influences play in men's health, and how addressing these can help protect more men from developing CVD. For example, investing in support to quit smoking will enable more men and boys to live long lives in good heart health for generations to come.”