Almost 100 people died prematurely from heart and circulatory diseases in Burnley in 2022 new figures show

New research from the British Heart Foundation has found the premature death rate from these conditions has hit a 14-year high across the country.

Heart and circulatory diseases are any which impacts the blood vessels – including coronary heart disease and strokes. Figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest 287 people died from these conditions in Burnley in 2022 – 89 of whom were under 75, and therefore classed as premature. From 2020 to 2022 an average of 96 people died early. Across England, the rate of premature deaths from heart disease has been on the rise since 2020. Analysis from the BHF shows it reached 80 per 100,000 people in 2022 – the highest rate since 2011, when it was 83.Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, associate medical director at the BHF and a consultant cardiologist, said: "We’re in the grip of the worst heart care crisis in living memory.