Heart. 2026 Mar 1:heartjnl-2025-327508. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2025-327508. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains one of the leading causes of mortality in England, with its burden disproportionately concentrated in the North. Studies in the last few decades have highlighted that factors such as low education, high levels of unemployment, poor housing and reduced access to healthy food are strongly associated with the higher incidence of lifestyle risks-smoking, obesity and physical inactivity. These in turn increase rates of hypertension, dyslipidaemia and diabetes in the population. Beyond lifestyle factors, psychosocial mechanisms such as chronic stress and associated increase in allostatic load, due to long-standing deprivation, contribute to the biological risk of CVD. Early life disadvantage, ethnic and gender inequalities, and delayed management of intermediate risk factors further exacerbate the regional divide in England. Furthermore, the long-term impacts of COVID-19 and healthcare-associated national policies, including austerity-related funding deductions, have intensified pre-existing disparities. Evidence demonstrates that current preventative strategies, such as the National Health Service Health Check, have had limited success in reaching underserved communities, highlighting the need for targeted therapies. The National Institute of Health and Care Research Inequalities Challenge is a remarkable opportunity for the United Kingdom's (UK) leading research organisations to help tackle these inequalities associated with CVD and make a significant difference. Without such efforts, the excess CVD burden is likely to persist, perpetuating entrenched health inequalities. This review examines the different social determinants of health underlying these disparities, with a particular focus on socioeconomic deprivation, lifestyle risk factors, environmental and structural issues.
PMID:41765382 | DOI:10.1136/heartjnl-2025-327508