BHF comment
Giant egg timer on London Southbank highlights harsh realities of cardiovascular disease
A large-scale egg timer was erected in London Southbank, bringing to life the urgent reality of cardiovascular deaths across the UK.
The timer was unveiled by Rivals actress Lisa McGrillis and her best friend Mary Cann, in partnership with us, after Mary lost her husband Nigel following a heart attack last year.
Every three minutes
The powerful installation highlights the shocking truth that every three minutes someone in the UK dies from cardiovascular disease – the same amount of time Brits spend on everyday activities such as brushing their teeth, making a cup of tea and taking the bins out.
Launching ahead of World Heart Day (29th September), the installation is designed to drive home the message that cardiovascular disease kills more frequently than most people realise.
It comes as a new survey commissioned by the charity has revealed the dangerous misconceptions about heart health currently held by the British public.
Two in five (42 per cent) of those surveyed believe that heart disease symptoms appear suddenly, similar to how they are portrayed in films or TV, and one in five (21 per cent) think it's only those aged 60+ who are at risk of heart disease, despite new data showing cardiovascular death rates have been rising in younger, working-age adults.
Lisa and Mary’s story
Lisa McGrillis, who plays Valerie Jones in Rivals, ran the London Marathon earlier this year alongside her best friend Mary Cann, following the sudden death of Mary’s husband Nigel from heart disease last year.
Nigel was only 47 years old and on his way to play padel when his heart stopped one Tuesday evening with seemingly no warning. In his memory, Lisa and Mary raised over £19,500 for British Heart Foundation, smashing their original target by 779 per cent.
Lisa McGrillis said: "I remember when Mary told me what had happened to Nigel – I was completely shocked. There had been no warning signs, he hadn’t been unwell. Sadly, heart disease often strikes like this.
“There’s so much misunderstanding around heart health, and it’s on all of us to learn more. Unveiling the British Heart Foundation’s timer is a real privilege – it’s a way to make the invisible killer that is heart disease a little more visible."
Stark picture
The campaign launches ahead of World Heart Day as the British Heart Foundation reveals the UK's heart health has declined more quickly at the start of the 2020s than in any other decade for over 50 years, with deaths from cardiovascular disease in working-age adults rising by 18 per cent from 18,693 in 2019 to 21,975 in 2023.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, our Chief Executive, said: "This striking timer paints a stark picture of the devastating impact of cardiovascular disease.
“The sad reality is that today, and every day, around 480 families across the UK will lose a loved one to cardiovascular conditions like a heart attack and stroke. We have seen the worst start to a decade for heart health in half a century, with numbers of cardiovascular deaths in working-age adults rising for the first time in a generation.
“We know how much it matters. And we know we can make a difference. We are determined to give people more time with their loved ones by powering an era of immense scientific opportunity to give people healthier hearts, for longer.”
Three key priorities
Our new strategy focuses on three key priorities: reimagining prevention through advances in data science and AI, significantly increasing investment in UK cardiovascular research, and ensuring health systems radically improve care for people with heart conditions.
By 2035, the charity wants the UK to prevent at least 125,000 heart attacks and strokes, reduce early deaths from cardiovascular disease by 25 per cent, and reduce the number of years lost to heart-related ill health by a quarter.