Fewer people in poorer areas dying from heart disease

Death rate drops by nearly a third

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THE number of people in the poorest areas of Scotland who are dying from heart disease has fallen by more than a quarter, figures revealed yesterday.

The death rate from heart disease is considerably higher in deprived communities than more affluent ones.

But statistics have revealed that between 2000 and 2006 there was a 27.4% decrease in the mortality rate for the condition among under-75s in the most deprived areas.

The number of deaths in this group fell from 1,257 in 2000 to 839 in 2006. And over the same period the number of deaths per 100,000 people dropped from 151.8 to 110.2.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Ross Finnie said the reduction was good news, but added: “When this figure is taken alongside a nationwide decrease of around 30%, it’s not so impressive.”

Mr Finnie added: “These figures underline the need to address health inequalities.”

Labour public health spokesman Dr Richard Simpson also commented on the figures and said: “This impressive drop in coronary heart disease, particularly in deprived areas, shows that Labour’s health inequalities strategies have been working.”

With smoking one of the main causes of coronary heart disease, Dr Simpson called on the Scottish Government to maintain funding for enforcing the smoking ban.

The overall budget available for smoking cessation and other such services is increasing from £13.3million in 2007-08 to £13.8million for the following three years.

Labour claimed this amounts to a real-terms cut.

Dr Simpson said: “What we need now is reassurances from the SNP that they will continue to protect the funding for enforcement of the smoking ban to build on this success.

“This makes the real-terms cuts that the SNP have made to the smoking cessation budget over the next three years totally unacceptable.”