Heart deaths start to rise

DEATHS from heart attacks and strokes in the Lothians have risen slightly from last year, figures have shown.

But the long-term trend, experts said, is still downwards for cardiac fatalities.

The rise from this time last year has been credited as being a dip, and in fact advances in stroke care across the Lothians has saved hundreds of lives.

The data showed 266 people died of a heart attack in the last three months, while 143 fatalities were caused by strokes.