British Heart Foundation Urges Everyone To Join Fundraising Campaign To Fight Heart Disease.
Two fifths of people living in the West Midlands fear their loved ones could be struck with a potentially life-threatening heart attack or stroke in the future, a recent poll by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) revealed.
According to the new statistics, three quarters of residents in the West Midlands have a family member with risk factors that place them at a higher risk of developing heart disease, with 43% already having a loved one affected by heart disease or lost a loved one to it.
Although people have admitted to worrying about the health of loved one, three in ten people in the West Midlands have said they are reluctant to talk with them about it for fear of upsetting them.
The figures, released ahead of the BHF’s Wear It. Beat it. Campaign, are hoped to inspire people across the nation to get involved in the fight against heart disease by wearing red or hosting a fundraising event on Friday 5th February. The organisation aims to raise £1million through the campaign, to help fund new life saving research.
Approximately 647,000 people are suffering from heart and circulatory disease in the West Midlands. The campaign has raised more than £6million since 2009, with last year seeing over 23,000 people participate.
Dr Mike Knapton, Associate Medical Director at the BHF, said: “Heart disease can strike anyone at any age, without warning. That’s why it’s vital we do everything we can to reduce our risk and protect our hearts against these devastating conditions.
“This survey highlights just how important it is for us to talk about the UK’s biggest killer with our friends and family.
“Too many lives are cut short by heart disease every year. We urgently need to accelerate research into finding new ways to fight it. By signing up to Wear it. Beat it. you can help fund cutting-edge research to better understand, treat and predict who is at risk.”
To receive your free fundraising kit and get fun ideas on how to get involved, sign up via the website on www.bhf.org.uk/red or call 0300 330 0645.
