Surrey secures part of £50m funding to combat cardiovascular disease inequalities
University of Surrey joins national consortium focusing on high blood pressure and cholesterol management
Researchers at the University of Surrey will take part in a new initiative aimed at tackling inequalities in cardiovascular disease, backed by £50 million from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
The NIHR Cardiovascular Disease Inequalities Challenge Consortium, comprising nine institutions, targets disparities in diagnosis and management of conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, particularly in underrepresented groups including women, ethnic minorities, and people with mental health issues.
Professor Christian Heiss leads the Surrey team, collaborating with local health bodies and communities to design care strategies and test interventions at a local level.
He told us what aspect of the project he thinks is most important
"From a good proportion of people in the UK, we don't have any healthcare data. We explicitly want to talk to the people that not engage in healthcare and talk to them and ask them how they think the problem could be solved."
New statistics show people in the most deprived parts of the UK are more than 50% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease. Christian told us what reasons he suspected might be behind this statistic
"There could be several reasons for it. Some of the reasons may include low income people are not aware of the health conditions. With this challenge where we're trying to understand why these differences exist."
Over five years, the consortium aims to improve early diagnosis and treatment outcomes, focusing on those most affected by healthcare inequalities.
The programme's results may lead to enhanced detection methods and community-based interventions, with the consortium's research beginning in autumn 2026.
Cardiovascular disease is the primary cause of death in the UK, accounting for 25% of fatalities, and this programme aims to address these urgent public health challenges.