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Doctors rushing down a hospital hallway with a patient in a bed suffering from a cardiac arrest

How inequalities impact cardiovascular health

We bring together statistics and research detailing the impact of inequalities on cardiovascular health. 

Everybody should have access to the best available treatment and care. But too often they do not. 

We are committed to better understanding the inequalities that we know exist, so that we can improve our efforts to close the gaps.

Our 2025 report Bridging Hearts considers how deprivation, sex and ethnicity can impact people’s cardiovascular health in the UK.BHF’s Health Insights and Policy and Public Affairs teams have published a report which considers how level of deprivation, sex and ethnicity can impact a person’s cardiovascular health.

What the research shows

When compared to the least deprived areas, the most deprived areas in England have:

Heart icon with a red outline and white centre

higher death rates from cardiovascular disease

Illustrated outline of a person with a heart outlined

lower uptake of cardiac rehabilitation

An icon of an ambulance outlined in red

higher hospital admissions rates for emergency care

To find out more, or to support British Heart Foundation’s work, please visit www.bhf.org.uk. You can speak to one of our cardiac nurses by calling our helpline on 0808 802 1234 (freephone), Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. For general customer service enquiries, please call 0300 330 3322, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

British Heart Foundation is a registered Charity No. 225971. Registered as a Company limited by guarantee in England & Wales No. 699547. Registered office at Greater London House, 180 Hampstead Road, London NW1 7AW. Registered as a Charity in Scotland No. SC039426