Region records surge in heart disease deaths

David Knox • Published 3 Jan 2012 09:30 0 Comments

BORDERS health chiefs have defended startling figures that show a surge in deaths from coronary heart disease.

A recent rise has taken the average number of deaths in under 75-year-olds to 14 each year for the past three years. A decade ago the average figure for the same age group stood at only four.

The most recent figures for the region show that the European-Standardised rate per 100,000 stands at 128.2 - the highest of any health board area in the country. But local health bosses believe the region's small population is to blame.

A spokeswoman for NHS Borders said: "The statistical variation in these numbers, due to the small deprived population size for NHS Borders covered in this report, is high. This means the smaller the number of deaths, the more the figures are likely to vary and so should be interpreted with caution.

"But if you look at the population sizes and the age standardized rate range as a whole over the 10 year period, it reveals NHS Borders' current rate is normal, and indeed is one of the best in Scotland."

Tweet

This article appeared in Border Telegraph 03 Jan 12

Post a comment

Your Comment:

Registered users log in here

Username or email

Password

If you are registered with us, you can login here. If you are not registered, do so now.
Once logged in you wont have to complete word verification each time you post.

Prefer not to register?

Screen Name *required

Email (not displayed) *required

Usernames must be 4 - 20 characters. Registration only takes a few minutes. Registered users can also take part in competitions and other features of the site.

Word Verification:
Enter the text as shown.

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.

Follow @bordertelegraph