Heart disease in East Lancashire

AROUND 900 families in East Lancashire face losing a loved one to heart disease this year.

Figures released by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) show that on average the North West sees 10,766 men and women die from heart disease annually.

The Coronary Heart Disease Statistics 2012 report said this included 869 people in East Lancashire, as on average 211 people in Blackburn with Darwen die from the condition, 158 in Hyndburn, 142 in Burnley, 140 in Pendle, 116 in Rossendale and 102 in the Ribble Valley.

Coronary heart disease describes what happens when your heart’s blood supply is blocked or interrupted by a build-up of fatty substances in the coronary arteries.

It is the country’s single biggest killer, claiming the lives of more than 68,499 men and women in England each year.

Arteries

In order to help support the fight against heart disease during National Heart Month, the BHF is urging people to join in ‘National Wear Red Day’ on Friday, February 12.

Barbara Dunn, BHF fundraising and volunteer manager for Lancashire, said: “Cardiovascular disease can affect anyone, young and old.

“Whether you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol we are working to ensure these conditions can one day be eliminated.

“We need to raise vital funds in Lancashire to help care for people with heart disease, to support their families, to campaign on their behalf and to fund pioneering research to save lives.”