European heart disease map confirms health fears

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Scots have a much higher risk of heart disease than their English neighbours, a new study has confirmed.

New research has been used to create a heart disease risk map of Europe, which charts heart disease rates across the continent.

The map, created by the European Heart Network, shows a correlation between higher rates of heart disease and countries further north. It also highlights that heart disease rates generally increase from west to east.

According to the European Parliament Heart Group, heart disease is the main cause of death and disability in Europe, killing more than two million people a year and racking up an annual bill of over £145 billion.

Stefan Willich, of the Charité Medical Centre in Berlin told The Guardian that the map would be useful for planning medical treatment across the EU.

"We need to take into account the variation. In other words, for high-risk countries we need different strategies [than] for low-risk countries," he said.

The map confirms previous research, which found that British heart disease is lowest in the south east of England and increases northwards.

The findings will come as no particular shock to Scots, whose country has long since been labelled the heart attack capital of Europe.

In addition, a study by Edinburgh University in December found that people from England who live in Scotland are 20 per cent less likely to die of heart disease than their Scottish born counterparts.

A number of things have been blamed for the link between Scots and heart disease. Dr Colin Fischbacher, lead author of the Edinburgh study, admitted that: “This difference could be because those who move are professionals.”

This would support the findings of the British Heart Foundation Scotland that heart disease is partly linked to economic prosperity.

A spokesperson for the Foundation said that: “In deprived communities people are much more likely to smoke, to eat higher levels of saturated fats, salt and sugar.”

Previous research has found that differences in smoking, activity levels, alcohol consumption, obesity, cholesterol levels and blood pressure account for variations in heart disease rates.

The issue of Scotland’s poor record on heart disease, and poor health in general, is one that the Holyrood government is acutely aware of. Recent initiatives to tackle Scotland’s poor diet and health have ranged from the new ‘Fit For Girls’ programme - aimed at getting young girls into sport - to proposals to ban junk food from the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Scotland’s struggle with its diet is given form in Alex Salmond's own weight battles. The First Minister, who was put on a diet during the Scottish parliamentary election campaign, has been the target of criticism recently for the frequent use of his ministerial limousine to take him to his favourite curry house in Leith.

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