Missing by omission: the hidden heart of cardiovascular inequity in the UK
Clare R Goyder, Caroline Mitchell, Charlotte James, Oshin Sharma, Ben Lacey, Nigel David Hart, Emily McFadden, Joseph J Lee, Yeyenta Osasu, Pensee Wu, Kathryn S Taylor, John Ford REDUCE-HF group
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of premature mortality in the UK contributing to a quarter of all deaths.1 It is one of the largest drivers of health inequalities nationally, accounting for over one-fifth of the life expectancy gap between most and least deprived communities in males and females.2,3 Data from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities from 2022–2023 show that in males there were 15 935 excess deaths and in females there were 9707 excess deaths attributable to circulatory disorders in people living in the most socioeconomically deprived quintile when compared to the least deprived quintile (Figure 1 and Figure 2).3 With £50 million investment, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is establishing new research consortia to tackle these stark disparities in cardiovascular health, particularly in higher risk groups such as ethnic minorities and deprived communities; and seeks to address inequalities in CVD outcomes in women and men.4