Nearly 100,000 more people with cardiovascular disease than expected have died since the start of the pandemic in England, according to an analysis published by the British Heart Foundation yesterday. [1a | 1b] [2a | 2b]
“It means that, on average, there have been over 500 additional deaths a week involving cardiovascular disease, since the pandemic began. “
In the first year of the pandemic, COVID drove high numbers of excess deaths. Now, deaths from COVID-19 has fallen year-on-year, but cardiovascular deaths have remained high above expected levels.
“Covid-19 no longer fully explains the significant numbers of excess deaths involving cardiovascular disease,” explains Dr. Sonya Babu-Narayan, Associate Medical Directory at the BHF.