Cardiovascular Disease
Healthy People
Physical Health Conditions
Stroke
High Blood Pressure
Hypertension
Heart Health
Atrial Fibrillation
Cholesterol Management
Cardiac Medications
Heart Attack
Cardiac Risk Factors
Smoking
Cardiovascular conditions
Cardiovascular disease
CVD
Introduction
Cardiovascular disease (also known as heart and circulatory disease) is a general term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) includes all heart and circulatory diseases, including:
- Coronary heart disease
- Angina
- Heart attack
- Congenital heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Atrial fibrillation
- Stroke
- Vascular dementia
CVD can affect any part of the cardiovascular system, and symptoms may not always be visible. Different CVDs may develop at the same time and can lead to other CVDs and may lead to poor quality of life and increased likelihood of hospitalisation.
People living with CVD can experience various physical and emotional symptoms, which include:
- Chest pain
- Pain, weakness or numb legs and/or arms
- Breathlessness
- Very fast or slow heartbeat, or palpitations
- Feeling dizzy, lightheaded or faint
- Fatigue
- Swollen limbs
There are a number of factors that contribute to a person’s risk of developing CVD, these include:
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- Poor diet
- Lack of exercise/sedentary life style
- Being overweight or obese
- Stress
- High blood pressure
- Family history
- Ethnicity
Encouraging healthy lifestyle changes such as improving diet, stopping smoking or reducing weight can help to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of CVD and should be considered before initiating treatment.
Why is it important to Population Health?
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is important to population health for many reasons:
Leading Cause of Mortality: CVD is the leading cause of early death in the UK with 136,000 deaths or the equivalent of one in four deaths each year. CVD related conditions currently affect nearly seven million people in the UK1. Population health approaches to address CVD, can reduce the burden on the healthcare system whilst improving quality of life for patients.
Consequences of CVD: The disease can have long-term health consequences, it is associated with damage to arteries in organs such as the brain, heart, kidneys and eyes. It can lead to long-term disability, a reduced quality of life and can lead to serious complications such as stroke. Early identification of CVD risk, appropriate condition management and lifestyle change can support the long-term reduction in risk and complications associated with CVD.
Health Inequalities: Health inequalities are avoidable differences in health between different groups of people. People who live in lower income communities are more likely to be diagnosed with CVD and are three times more likely to die early because of CVD. Working with communities at high risk of CVD can improve outcomes and enhance quality of life for people living in areas most affected by CVD.
Modifiable Risk Factors: Most CVD can be prevented by addressing modifiable risk factors2 including:
- Smoking
- Poor diet
- Lack of exercise
- Being overweight
- Excessive alcohol consumption
These modifiable risk factors can increase a persons risk of developing CVD. However, population health efforts to support people to make lifestyle changes can empower people to reduce their risk of developing CVD, improve health outcomes and reduce the long-term pressures on the NHS.
NHS/Healthcare Burden: The burden and cost for treating CVD related conditions to the NHS is estimated to be £7.4bn each year3. Heart failure alone accounts for 1 million bed days4 and 160,000 attendances at A&E each year5. In addition to this 12% of GP appointments in England are for high blood pressure6. Population health approaches aim to help prevent people developing CVD or if they do to manage their condition effectively to help ease the pressure on the NHS.
Economic Impact: There are significant economic consequences for individuals, families and society as a result of CVD. It is estimated that CVD costs the wider UK economy £15.8bn annually, roughly 23% of this is due to lost productivity and 17% due to informal caring support7 for patients with CVD. Interventions delivered at scale can support the reduction of CVD risk and help alleviate the economic consequences of CVD.
The Derbyshire Population Health Approach
The Derbyshire Population Health Approach focuses on prevention, population health, evidence-informed practices, causes, and collaboration. It emphasises proactive measures to prevent health issues, tailors interventions to specific populations, incorporates evidence-informed practices, addresses underlying causes, and promotes collaboration for effective action.
When considering the topic of CVD within The Derbyshire Population Health Approach:
Measures to prevent people from developing CVD are incredibly important in improving the health and wellbeing of communities most at risk, improve productivity and reduce pressure on the NHS. Efforts to manage CVD risk include promoting the uptake of the NHS Health Check, supporting lifestyle changes, including support for stopping smoking, managing weight and increasing physical activity.
There is significant variation in both the occurrence of CVD within different communities and access to preventative healthcare systems such as NHS Health Checks. This often results in older adults and those in rural areas with poor public transport links being more negatively impacted. Areas with greater income inequality for example are more likely to experience higher rates of CVD. Targeted interventions to support communities who experience high levels of CVD can be developed to support the specific needs of those communities.
We have a good understanding of the evidence behind why people develop CVD. The NHS in their Long Term Plan8 in 2019 acknowledged that CVD is a leading cause of mortality in deprived communities and is the single biggest area where cost saving can be found in the next 10 years. Population health practitioners work closely with NHS and other partners to implement evidence-informed activity to prevent CVD developing and to manage CVD conditions when they are identified.
Population health approaches to support the management of CVD focus on understanding the causes and risk factors associated with CVD, including lifestyle factors such as smoking, overweight/obesity, diet and physical activity, the built environment and socio-economic factors that contribute to the risk of a person developing CVD. Population health approaches, developed collaboratively with stakeholders and communities should be developed that reflect the broad and complex nature of CVD to improve health outcomes of people in Derbyshire, especially those with multiple risk factors.
Working across the NHS, local authority, community, voluntary and independent sectors is essential to embed a population health approach to CVD prevention. Partnership working is essential in supporting the development and implementation of strategies, plans and services to manage CVD within at-risk communities whilst ensuring the wider health needs of communities are also supported.
Latest Derbyshire Data
Trend Data
Derbyshire Quilt
Prevalence Maps of Derbyshire
The maps below illustrate Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) and Middle Super Output Areas (MSOAs) for Derbyshire. LSOAs and MSOAs are geographical divisions used for statistical purposes, allowing for more detailed analysis of local data. In these maps, you can explore various health indicators and data for Derbyshire, providing valuable insights into the area’s health and wellbeing.