Future of CVD care in an evolving system
2021 Heart UK report on preventing CVD after the pandemic
At HEART UK, our vision is to prevent early disease and deaths from cholesterol and other blood fat (lipid) conditions in the UK – a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. We are working hard to ensure that people with high cholesterol are detected as early as possible and receive the support they need, so that we can prevent premature death and improve health and wellbeing.
That is why, on World Heart Day 2021, we are proud to launch our report, ‘The future of CVD care in an evolving system’. The report contains new data from a survey commissioned by HEART UK which shows how diagnosis and treatment of CVD, with specific reference to high cholesterol, has been disrupted by the pandemic.
It also sets out how, as the UK recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, we can ensure that cholesterol and familial hypercholesterolaemia remain a top health priority for the NHS and policymakers for the benefit of patients, now and in the future. This is vital if we are to succeed in meeting the NHS Long Term Plan ambition of preventing 150,000 strokes, heart attacks and dementia cases by 2029.
The report looks at lessons learned from the pandemic and makes specific recommendations for how cholesterol and CVD diagnosis and treatment can be improved in the UK. Key recommendations include:
- Ensure NHS Health Checks are offered to all those eligible to support primary prevention.
- Continue to raise public awareness of CVD risk factors, especially following the replacement of Public Health England.
- Manage CVD throughout the treatment pathway as a family of diseases in order to ensure co-ordinated and integrated patient care.