Heart deaths fall

HEART attack deaths have dramatically fallen locally. Some 522 men and 515 women died from a heart attack or heart disease in the five years from 1998. But in the last decade, the numbers of men under 75 in Guernsey dying from an attack - the island's biggest killer - has dropped by half and women by a quarter, according to figures released today by the Board of Health. Guernsey residents have a 40% less chance of having a heart attack than someone in England, and the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease has reduced steadily over the past eight years. Public health director Dr David Jeffs said that it was impossible to select one factor that was helping people stay healthier, but called it a 'dramatic improvement'. 'It is partly due to people taking more care of their own health, through measures such as not smoking and eating healthier food,' he said. The latest figures show that between 1998 and 2002, 31% of male deaths and 30% of female ones were from cardiovascular causes. Another 8% of men and 6% of women died from acute myocardial infarction (AMI). There has been a reduction in acute cardiac mortality over the past eight years. The downward trend follows a strategic decision taken 18 months ago by the Board of Health to spend more money on areas considered a priority, such as cancer and heart disease. The board has been comparing standards for heart disease in Guernsey with those in the UK, using a document called the national service framework from the UK, which sets minimum standards. Heart attacks represent a major healthcare cost in Guernsey. 'Heart disease is one of the most common causes for hospital admission locally and this is a message that we are going in the right direction,' said Dr Jeffs. 'More people are surviving heart attacks. Men are cutting down on smoking, and local GPs are picking up and treating heart disease factors earlier.' He added that fewer people were having heart attacks and that more were being referred off-island. Dr Jeffs praised the St John Ambulance and Rescue team for their quick response times in getting heart attack patients to hospital. 'New procedures in A and E such as thrombolysis, which is clot busting, are contributing as well,' he said. Dr Jeffs warned against complacency and said that there was still some way to go in local 'heart health', but figures being published in October will show a continued downward trend in heart attack cases. Health promotion unit manager Yvonne Le Page said that it had run healthy eating campaigns encouraging people to look after their hearts. 'We have also offered free exercise sessions, which were very well received, and have run blood pressure checks,' she said. 'We can never be complacent.' Dr Jeffs added: 'The downward trend with heart attacks is good news for Guernsey. We do seem to be doing many of the right things.' Taking three-year means, according to the figures, there has been a 50% reduction in AMI deaths, from 48.6 per 100,000 male population <75 years (between 1993 and 1995) to 24.2 per 100,000 population <75 years from 1999-2001. During the same period, AMI mortality has fallen by 25%, from 23.9 per 100,000 women <75 years to 17.9 per 100,000 women population <75 years.