Failure to tackle heart disease 'will hit plans to work longer'

Published on Monday 19 February 2007 11:59

PLANS to encourage people to work longer are under threat from a rising tide of ill health, a report warned today.

An increasingly ageing population and higher rates of people living with illness could leave the NHS and pensions in turmoil, it said.

The study, from the charity Heart UK, was written by health and public policy experts and funded by an educational grant from manufacturers of cholesterol-busting statins.

The head of the charity accused the Government of "sleepwalking into a potential health and pensions crisis" for failing to tackle levels of heart disease.

The report warned that rising ill health from cholesterol-related cardiovascular disease (CVD), such as heart disease and stroke, had long-term consequences.

Furthermore, GP appointments associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) will rise by 40 per cent (678,000 extra appointments a year) and hospital admissions by 34 per cent (over 36,000 extra a year) by 2020, it predicted.

The report says the Government's strategy for public health has largely ignored cholesterol.

High cholesterol is the single greatest risk factor for heart disease and is also a major risk factor in stroke, it said.