EU heart deaths 'halved since 1980s'

Most countries have seen steady reductions in deaths in both men and women of all ages, despite rises in obesity and diabetes, a UK study shows.However, experts have warned against complacency, saying wide disparities remain across Europe. Coronary heart disease is the UK's single biggest killer.  About one in five men and one in eight women die from the disease.

Risk factors
A new study, published in the European Heart Journal, looked at deaths from the condition between 1980 and 2009 in men and women across four age groups - under-45, 45-54, 55-64, and 65 and over."It's now vitally important politicians and clinicians don't lose sight of the fact that coronary heart disease is still the UK's single biggest killer," said Simon Gillespie, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation (BHF).Overall there was a steady decline in mortality when all ages were considered together, a team from the British Heart Foundation Health Promotion Research Group at the University of Oxford found.