DEATH RATES from heart disease and stroke in Scotland have plummeted over the past decade, new figures have revealed.
Scotland has long been tagged “the sick man of Europe” over its poor public health and high death rates from heart disease, stroke and cancer.
Heart disease alone kills around 8,000 Scots a year.
But new figures published by NHS Scotland’s Information Services Division show that the mortality rate for coronary disease has fallen by 43.2% to 92.2 people per 100,000 since 2002 while deaths from strokes have fallen by 41.8% to 47.7 people per 100,000.
And as more people adopt healthier lives, fewer people are developing the conditions.
The incidence rate for heart disease has fallen by 28.9% over the decade to 270 per 100,000 while strokes have fallen by 21.8% to 156 per 100,000.
Scottish Government health secretary Alex Neil said: “It is a fantastic that NHS Scotland is continuing to make significant reductions in the number of deaths from heart disease and stroke.
“In addition to the substantial reduction we’ve seen over the past decade, between 2010 and 2011 alone, we’ve seen an 8.1% drop in the number of deaths from coronary heart disease and a 5.7% drop in the number of deaths from stroke.”
He added: “We’ve also managed to narrow the gap between the richest and the poorest areas in Scotland, showing that our strategy for tackling heart disease and stroke is delivering real results for the people of Scotland.
“There is however more to do. For example more people are surviving heart attacks and living with heart disease they need high access to high quality rehabilitation and support.
“NHS Scotland has substantially increased access to cardiac rehabilitation in recent years, and we recognise the need to continue to improve services available for people with all heart conditions.”
Cardiac rehabilitation statistics published in May 2012 show that access to cardiac rehabilitation for heart attack patients increased from 53% in 2006 to 71% in 2010.
Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland chief executive David Clark said: “CHSS very much welcomes the continuing fall in deaths from heart disease and stroke in Scotland two of our ‘big three’ killers.
“This has been achieved both by improved prevention and treatment, and by people adopting healthier lifestyles.
“However, it also means that more and more people are living with these illnesses as long-term conditions nearly 250,000 Scots are living with heart disease, and more than 100,000 with stroke.
“They and their families need ongoing advice, support and services in the community, which CHSS helps to provides throughout Scotland.
“We also work with the Scottish Government and other charities to explore new and innovative ways of delivering services like cardiac and stroke rehabilitation.”
smorkis@thecourier.co.uk