Heart and circulatory diseases, collectively known as cardiovascular disease (CVD), are very common in the UK, affecting an estimated 8 million1 people. In fact the British Heart Foundation estimated more than half of us will get a heart or circulatory condition in lifetime. They are a leading cause of death and disability - accounting for approximately one in four2 premature deaths.
All of that means that heart health is going to have an impact on your business.
People dealing with heart problems will clearly need to take time out of work for hospital appointments and recovery, and may need to have duties or hours reduced.
A heart health emergency like a heart attack might also take place IN the workplace – so knowing and planning how you would respond is also crucial.
There’s also lots you could be doing to encourage good heart health in your organisation, too, from raising awareness of signs and symptoms to encouraging and supporting healthy habits.
Heart health in numbers
- 8 million people in the UK are living with heart and circulatory diseases
- 26% of deaths in the UK are caused by heart and circulatory diseases
- 170,000 people die from heart and circulatory diseases in the UK, 47,000 of which are counted as premature deaths
- 47,000 under 75 die from heart and circulatory diseases each year
- 80% of people with heart and circulatory diseases also have at least one other health condition
- £12 billion – the healthcare costs in relation to heart and circulatory diseases
- £29 billion – the cost to the wider economy
- 2.3 million people in the UK have coronary heart disease
- 1 million people are living with heart failure
- 100,000 – the number of strokes in the UK each year
- 100,000 – the number of annual hospital admissions due to heart attacks
- 7 out of 10 – the survival rate for heart attacks in the UK
- 40,000 – the number of out of hospital cardiac arrests each year
- 1 out of 10 – the survival rate for out of hospital cardiac arrests
Numbers from the British Heart Foundation4
- 64%4 of UK adults are overweight, and 10.6%5 are smokers – two more key risk factors for CVD.
What the law says about heart health
CVD is a significant contributor to disability, with many individuals experiencing long-term health problems as a result of heart conditions like cardiac arrests, strokes or heart failure. Disabilities are recognised and protected by the Equality Act 2010, which means businesses have a duty of care for employees, and must make reasonable adjustments to help them do their jobs.
How businesses can support heart health
1. Encourage heart-healthy habits
Businesses have a role to play in supporting heart health by encouraging healthy habits as part of their wider health and wellbeing strategies.
Some of the risk factors for heart and circulatory diseases include weight, poor diet, lack of exercise – and smoking. There are plenty of things businesses can do to support people to eat better, move more – and quit the cigarettes. That might include providing healthy snacks and encouraging proper lunch breaks, creating walking/running/cycling challenges for charity - or providing stop smoking6 support and signposting.
2. Tackle stress
Stress7 can have a significant impact on heart health, largely because it can drive unhealthy habits - like smoking, drinking and eating sugary foods. According to the Mental Health UK, 91%8 of people experienced high pressure or stress at some point over the last year.
Tackling mental health can impact physical health – and should be a priority for businesses. Lots of organisations have mental health policies or champions, but it’s also worth investing in specialist training for line managers. They’re at the front line when it comes to recognising mental health issues, and signposting people to the support your organisation has made available.
3. Raise awareness
Raising awareness of heart health signs and symptoms is a great way to help people spot problems early, or understand what to do in an emergency. Taking part in campaigns like Stroke Awareness Month 9 in May or Restart a Heart Day 10 in October are a great place to begin.
It’s also really important to remember you can’t tell who’s at risk of coronary or circulatory diseases just by looking at them – and many people don’t have or don’t put together early symptoms.
Businesses have a role to play in encouraging people to be proactive about their health, and raising awareness of how important it is to know what’s going on inside – for instance their blood pressure 11 or cholesterol levels 12. Every September is national Know Your Numbers Week13 – the UK’s biggest blood pressure testing and awareness event, and a great excuse to get talking about prevention and wider heart health.
4. Be prepared
Most businesses will have policies in place to deal with chronic illnesses, sick leave and return to work accommodations. But many won’t be prepared for a heart health emergency on their premises.
Consider offering company-wide CPR training14, or at least making sure your first aiders are up-to-date and able to cover your entire workforce. It’s also worth finding out where your nearest defibrillator15 is, or even getting one installed16.
5. Remind people about their Equipsme plan
Equipsme is here to help people with their heart health in lots of different ways.
Thriva healthchecks
Plan levels 1, 2 and 3 come with an annual home health check from our preventative health partners Thriva17 plus 20% discounts on further tests – which can include things like cholesterol levels and other heart-health markers. Members on GP Plus receive a 30% discount off any of the Thriva health checks and all members can also get 25% of a full, in-person Nuffield health check, too.
Find out more about Thriva healthchecks
Equipsme 24/7 GP service
The symptoms of heart problems can range from mild breathlessness and fatigue to a racing heart, chest pain, arm, jaw and back pain. It’s incredibly important to create a culture where people feel okay to take time off to see someone – even for something they might not immediately class as urgent.
With an estimated 4 in 1018 people struggling to find an appointment at their own surgery, being able to get one 24/7 through Equipsme at a convenient time can really help. What’s more, the GP service can write open referral letters that can open up the path to private diagnosis faster (subject to claim assessment and eligibility). Your employee members can also pay for a private prescription to be delivered or picked up from a local pharmacy.
Find out more about the Equipsme GP service
Heart health support line
If people are worried about their own heart, about a family member with heart problems, if they’re preparing for or recovering from surgery, the health support line can help. It includes a team of dedicated heart-health experts, and they’re on hand to talk through any questions, explain procedures and jargon, and offer advice and guidance.
Find out more about the heart health support line
Stress support EAP
If you don’t already have an EAP support service for your employees, you can add one to your Equipsme plan for all employees covered for £1.50 per person per month. Provided by our partners Health Assured, our stress support service offers phone support for mental health issues, which can even be extended to see counsellors face-to-face.
Find out more about Stress support through Equipsme
Don’t forget - call 999 immediately if you think you or someone you know might be having a heart attack. The faster you act, the better their chances.
Other useful resources:
10 heart health symptoms not to ignore
How to keep your heart healthy
Why employers should care about cholesterol
How do I lower my cholesterol?
What do blood pressure numbers mean?
Sources:
1 BHF UK Cardiovascular Disease Factsheet
2 Debate on premature deaths from heart and circulatory disease - House of Commons Library
3 BHF UK Cardiovascular Disease Factsheet
4 Obesity Profile: short statistical commentary May 2024 - GOV.UK
5 Adult smoking habits in the UK - Office for National Statistics
6 NHS stop smoking services help you quit - NHS
7 Get help with stress - NHS
8 Burnout Report 2025 reveals generational divide in levels of stress and work absence - Mental Health UK
9 Stroke Awareness Month | Stroke Association
10 Restart a Heart Day 2025 - BHF
11 What do blood pressure numbers mean? | Equipsme
12 Why employers should care about cholesterol | Equipsme
13 Blood Pressure UK
14 Learn CPR in 15 minutes for free | RevivR - BHF
15 DefibFinder - find the defibrillators nearest you
16 Defibrillator guide for first time buyers - St John Ambulance
17 Cardiovascular Health Blood Test | Thriva
18 Four in 10 UK adults struggle to secure GP appointments - Health & Protection
All our information is desk-based research from credible sources only, including the NHS and medical/disease charities.
Date updated: January 2026
