Experts in the United Kingdom are raising the alarm over the “crisis” of surging heart-related sudden deaths.
Alarming data revealed that premature deaths from cardiovascular problems, such as heart attacks and strokes, have hit their highest level in more than a decade.
Early heart deaths had tumbled since the 60s thanks to plummeting smoking rates, advanced surgical techniques, and breakthroughs such as stents and statins.
But six decades of progress have been reversed in recent years.
British Heart Foundation (BHF) analysis shows that heart deaths in people under 75 have soared to record highs.
BHF officials warned such deaths have now hit “heartbreaking” levels.
The BHF analysis also revealed heart disease killed 80 out of every 100,000 people in England in 2022 – the highest rate “in living memory.”
Heart fatalities in the under-75s have risen for three consecutive years.
The BHF said it was a “clear reversal in the trend for almost 60 years” and a sign the death toll from heart disease was rising again.
Renowned experts are now responding to the data by calling on the government to take action.
Experts are warning the UK’s state-funded National Health Service (NHS) that the country is now suffering