ABSTRACT
In 2004, cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounted for 37% of deaths in the UK. About half (49%) of all deaths from CVD are from coronary heart disease (CHD), with approximately one in five deaths in men, and one in six deaths in women. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) estimates the overall cost of CVD to the UK economy to be around £26 billion per year, which represents a huge financial burden to health and social care systems, as well as impacting upon industry and productivity in the working population.1
