Northern Ireland families could gain from earlier heart checks

Lifestyle & Wellness Desk 2026-10-22 16:03 3 min read

A stethoscope resting on a surface with a red heart symbol.

A British Heart Foundation report says stronger prevention could help prevent up to 2,500 premature cardiovascular deaths in Northern Ireland over the next Assembly mandate. Launched at Parliament Buildings on 20 October, Northern Ireland’s Hearts Need More: Making prevention a priority urges political parties to make reducing early deaths a commitment ahead of the 2027 Assembly election.

The report’s estimate points to the potential impact of acting earlier on risks such as high blood pressure and cholesterol. The charity says stronger action could prevent up to 500 premature deaths each year. These are estimates in the report, not guaranteed outcomes.

The scale of cardiovascular disease in Northern Ireland

More than 230,000 people in Northern Ireland are living with cardiovascular disease (CVD), and around 4,400 die from it each year, according to the figures cited by the British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland team. In 2024, 1,330 people died from CVD before the age of 75—the highest annual total for premature cardiovascular deaths in Northern Ireland since 2010.

Northern Ireland families could gain from earlier heart checks

The report says around 70% of the CVD burden is associated with modifiable risk factors. It also estimates that 400,000 people have high blood pressure, including as many as 100,000 who may not know they have it. The figures underline the report’s focus on prevention and identifying risk earlier.

Three prevention measures proposed

The report asks political parties to back three measures: restrict price and location-based promotions of food and drink high in fat, salt and sugar; work towards a smoke-free Northern Ireland by 2035 through the Tobacco and Vapes Act, more smoke-free spaces and a new tobacco control strategy; and establish a dedicated CVD risk-factor management programme.

That programme would aim to find and support people with undiagnosed or poorly managed high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The report does not set out a confirmed launch date for the proposed programme.

Families describe the cost of late detection

The campaign also features families affected by sudden heart attack deaths. Terry Rice, from Newry, is sharing the story of his husband, Derek Waters, who died aged 61. The Huffington family, from Portstewart, are sharing the story of Garry, their husband and father, who also died suddenly following a heart attack.

BHF Northern Ireland head Fearghal McKinney said the region was too often waiting until people became seriously ill instead of identifying and managing risk earlier. Consultant cardiologist Prof Patrick Donnelly said Northern Ireland was the only part of the UK without a strategic plan for CVD detection and management, and that access to services and expertise could vary by postcode.

Ahead of the 2027 election, the report calls on every political party to commit to reducing premature cardiovascular deaths. Its proposed measures place food promotions, tobacco control and earlier risk management at the centre of that prevention agenda.

Source: British Heart Foundation News

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source and checks

This report follows the British Heart Foundation’s account of its Northern Ireland report launch and distinguishes its estimates from confirmed outcomes.

Checks

Retained the report’s estimate of up to 2,500 premature deaths prevented over the next Ass...
Kept annual and historical death figures tied to the periods stated in the source.
Presented the proposed measures as calls for action, not as policies already adopted.

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