Our hearts
Heart and circulatory disease is an umbrella term that covers everything from conditions that are inherited or that a person is born with, to those that develop later, such as coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, stroke and vascular dementia.
UK statistics
In the UK in 2023, according to the British Heart Foundation (BHF) more than half of us will suffer from a heart or circulatory condition in our lifetime. Heart and circulatory diseases cause around a quarter of all deaths in the UK; that's more than 460 each day – a death that could possibly be prevented every three minutes.
USA heart statistics
The American Heart Association (AHA) reports that in 2023, on average, someone in the USA dies of cardiovascular disease every 34 seconds, and of a stroke every 3min 17 seconds. It makes depressing reading, especially as there is so much that could be proactively treated.
Japan, Korea, and France
These countries are at the opposite end of the spectrum. They report some of the lowest rates of heart disease in the world. We have decided to learn their secrets...