New research has suggested significant disparities in rates of heart disease remain between northern and southern England, with NHS trusts in the north-west hardest hit.
BBC News reports that data compiled by charity Heart UK revealed this week that primary care trusts in Blackburn with Darwen, Leicester City and Manchester are among those with the highest mortality rates.
By contrast, the lowest rates were seen in areas such as Westminster, East Sussex Downs and Weald, Dorset and Surrey. University College London's Dr Jessica Allen - co-author of the Marmot Review into health inequality - expressed concern.
"Significant variations in risk of suffering heart disease across England are shocking but sadly not unexpected," she explained. "Many health conditions relate to social and economic status and these largely explain the variations."
Last week, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence approved a drug thought to reduce the likelihood of death from a second heart attack by up to 20 per cent.
© Adfero Ltd
Heart treatment news : 13 July 2011
