New battle to beat killer disease in Torbay

Communities urged to work together to combat heart issues

Communities across Torbay are being urged to work together to beat a deadly surge in heart disease.

The bay’s public health chief says households struggling to buy healthy food during the cost of living crisis can collaborate on projects like allotments and community kitchens to source better diets to reduce heart disease.

One in four deaths of 50 to 74 year-olds in the area are caused by heart disease, and rates of cardiovascular disease are higher the national average. Twice as many men as women are admitted to hospital with it.

Poverty is a major factor, with the bay having some of the most deprived areas in the UK according to government figures.

Torbay’s director of public health Dr Lincoln Sargeant said: “Those in the most deprived 10 per cent of the population are almost twice as likely to die as a result of cardiovascular disease than those in the least deprived 10 per cent.

“Furthermore, cardiovascular disease is more common where a person is male, older, has a severe mental illness or is of South Asian or African Caribbean ethnicity.”

Dr Sargeant has made heart disease the main focus of his annual report on the health of the bay.

People in deprived areas are more likely to experience risk factors like smoking, being physically inactive or obesity.

“There is certainly a link between heart disease and deprivation,” he said. “And smoking is a major factor.

“There are certain things that help to protect the heart – clearly not smoking, and if you do smoke, stop. Also diet, physical activity, alcohol in moderation and controlling weight.”

And, he said, people could work together to stop the rise in heart disease.

“It’s not that people don’t know what a healthy diet looks like,” he said. “They need to know where to access that at a reasonable price.”

Places such as a community kitchen at Plainmoor illustrated what can be done.

“The emphasis is on coming together and helping people to access healthier food options and know how to cook them,” he said. “These are some of the kind of things we need to be doing to help people make healthier choices.

“It is easier for an individual if they are in a community that is supportive. It’s about working together with others to overcome these challenges.”