Heart disease - Ireland's No.1 Killer
Approximately 10,000 people die each year from cardiovascular disease (CVD) - including coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and other circulatory diseases. CVD is the most common cause of death in Ireland, accounting for 36% of all deaths. The largest number of these deaths relate to CHD - mainly heart attack - at 5,000. 22% of premature deaths (under age 65) are from CVD.

Stroke
Each year, approximately 10,000 Irish people have a stroke and around 2,000 die – more deaths than breast cancer, prostate cancer and bowel cancer combined. An estimated 30,000 people are living in the community with disabilities as a result of a stroke. This makes stroke the third biggest cause of death in Ireland and the biggest cause of acquired disability. The Irish Heart Foundation funded the first ever national audit of stroke care in Ireland. In November 2009, the Irish Heart Foundation launched its Stroke Manifesto calling for urgent action to overhaul stroke services. Go to the Irish Heart Foundation’s stroke campaign website for more on the action the Foundation is taking for better stroke services .

Overview
Deaths from ischemic heart disease including heart attack increased up to the 1970s when it peaked at 54% of deaths in 1974. Since then the trend has been moving towards a reduction in deaths from cardiovascular disease.

However, Ireland is still above average for premature deaths from CVD for the EU member countries before 2004. Last available figures show that Ireland has 52 premature deaths per 100,000 in comparison with the (pre 2004) EU average of 42. However, with the inclusion of the Eastern European accession states, the average EU figure for the equivalent period rises to 101 premature deaths per 100,000.

Death rates from stroke have been declining steadily since the 1970s and the mortality rate from stroke in Ireland is slightly below the European average.

Heart Foundation Position
While the trend is going in the right direction the Heart Foundation does not believe that enough is being done to implement the Cardiovascular Health Strategy. The strategy was launched in 1999 by the then Minister for Health and Children, Brian Cowen, and it was stated that it would cost €220m to implement all of it's 211 recommendations.

To date only €60m has been invested with the majority of this between 1999 and 2003. In 2004, 2005 and 2006 very little has been made available to support the strategy. Ireland continues to have a shortage of cardiologists with 11 per million compared to an EU average of 35 per million.

In May 2005 the Task Force on Obesity made expert recommendations to the Government on measures to address obesity. To date little has happened to implement any of these recommendations.

The Foundation is concerned that progress made in terms of reduction in mortality from heart disease will be reversed if obesity is not tackled urgently. We believe Government is not giving measures to tackle CVD the top priority warranted, considering its leading impact on mortality in Ireland.