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Cardiovascular disease

The group of conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels, including coronary heart disease and stroke. It commonly develops as fatty material builds up inside arteries, sometimes with no symptoms before a first event.

The basics

  • Over 8 million people are living with cardiovascular disease in the UK. More than 4 million of them are men. [1]
  • It causes around a quarter of all UK deaths: roughly 170,000 a year, around 460 every day. [1]
  • Men are more likely to get it than women, and risk also rises with age, family history, ethnicity, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. [2]
  • Around 70% of the UK's cardiovascular burden is associated with modifiable risk factors, and the NHS says it can often be prevented by a healthy lifestyle. [1]

The weight connection

The British Heart Foundation records that around 1 in 9 UK cardiovascular deaths are associated with a high body-mass index: over 21,000 each year. The NHS lists excess weight among the lifestyle factors that make cardiovascular disease more likely. [1][2]

What our blood test can see

Four of the ten markers we measure sit in this territory: total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides. A blood test alone does not diagnose cardiovascular disease. For a full risk assessment, the free NHS Health Check (ages 40 to 74) and your GP are the route.

HeMed provides clinician-led weight management. We do not diagnose or treat cardiovascular disease. This page is general health information, not medical advice. If you are worried about symptoms, speak to your GP, or use NHS 111.

What we test Explore Medical weight loss Explore

Related conditions

Sources

  1. British Heart Foundation, "UK Cardiovascular Disease Factsheet", July 2026 edition. bhf.org.uk/heart-statistics. Accessed 3 September 2026.
  2. NHS, "Cardiovascular disease", page last reviewed 12 January 2026. nhs.uk/conditions/cardiovascular-disease. Accessed 3 September 2026.