Tameside in Greater Manchester is the UK’s 'heart disease capital', a new report has revealed.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has found that people who live in the area are more likely to die from coronary heart disease than anywhere else in the UK.
Their risk is more than three times higher than in Kensington and Chelsea in London - where people have the healthiest hearts, a BHF spokeswoman said.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has found that people who live in Manchester are more likely to die from coronary heart disease than anywhere else in the UK
Every year in Tameside, there are 132 deaths per every 100,000 people, while in the London borough the figure stands at just 39 per 100,000, she said.
Ballymoney in Northern Ireland and Glasgow have the second and third highest death rates respectively, the charity said.
The figures, which represent average death rates for the three years from 2009 to 2011, showed there were 129 deaths per 100,000 people living in Ballymoney and 128 per 100,000 people in Glasgow.
More...
The Western diet really IS a killer: People who eat white bread, butter and red meat are most likely to die young
Money worries are causing millions of us to pile on the pounds by comfort eating
'Heartbreak gene' which stops organ recovering after injury discovered by scientists: Breakthrough could lead to revolutionary new treatments
MMR boycott 'has left two million children at risk of measles': Doctors say outbreak in Wales could spread to London
Professor Peter Weissberg, the charity’s medical director, said: 'These latest figures expose staggering inequalities in deaths from heart disease across the UK.
'But it’s unacceptable that people continue to die from heart attacks, regardless of their postcode.
'Coronary heart disease is not beaten yet - it remains the single biggest killer in the UK.
'We urgently need the nation to unite behind our quest to fund research to eradicate this deadly disease wherever it strikes.'
A study of more than 5,000 civil servants found those who ate the most fried and sweet food, processed and red meat, white bread and butter and cream doubled their risk of premature death or ill health in old age
The charity released the figures as part of its Fight For Every Heartbeat campaign.
The findings come after research published this week found that the typical Western diet, high in fat and sugar, really does lead to an early grave.
A study of more than 5,000 civil servants found those who ate the most fried and sweet food, processed and red meat, white bread and butter and cream doubled their risk of premature death or ill health in old age.
It adds to evidence that 'Western style food' is the reason why heart disease claims about 94,000 lives a year in the UK - more than any other illness.
The findings published in The American Journal of Medicine are based on a survey of British adults and suggest adherence to the diet increases the risk of premature death and disability later in life.
Those who followed a 'Western-type diet' consisting of fried and sweet food, processed food and red meat, refined grains, and high-fat dairy products, lowered their chances for ideal ageing.