# British Heart Foundation report: severe mental illness linked to 4x higher heart death risk in England

- Published: 2026-11-12 04:05 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Medicine
- Tags: severe mental illness heart disease, cardiovascular mortality, British Heart Foundation report, Centre for Mental Health, Equally Well UK, Royal College of Psychiatrists, cardiac interventions, statins access, annual physical health check
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-44d141f3b9275053f2fe2f48_british_heart_foundation/

**People with severe mental illness in England are about four times more likely to die early from heart disease, a policy report says; it points to gaps in prevention and care.**

![British Heart Foundation report: severe mental illness linked to 4x higher heart death risk in England](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/50620e6d5d640c18.jpg)
*Star61, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0*

People with severe mental illness in England are around four times more likely to die early from heart and circulatory disease than the general population, according to a new report summarized by knowridge.com. [1] The report was published by the British Heart Foundation with Centre for Mental Health, Equally Well UK and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. It is a policy report that draws on existing research, expert input and people's accounts of seeking care, not a new clinical trial. [1]

## Evidence cited in the report

The authors describe a double burden: higher exposure to cardiovascular risk factors, and barriers to getting symptoms recognized, receiving treatment and attending follow-up. [1] Research cited in the report found a 47% lower likelihood of receiving cardiac interventions among people with severe mental illness. Other evidence pointed to less access to statins and substantial levels of undetected cardiovascular disease before death. [1]

The report also cites obesity rates about 1.8 times higher than in the general population. Smoking, obesity and deprivation contribute to the burden, and the authors also identify stigma and services that separate physical and mental healthcare. [1] These findings come from different sources and populations, and they describe parts of a broader problem rather than a single pathway for every patient.

People who contributed accounts said physical symptoms were attributed to their mental illness. According to the report, a heart problem can then go unrecognized and the chance of earlier treatment can be lost. [1]

## Recommendations on prevention and follow-up

The recommendations include a long-term target to reduce smoking, reliable support for managing weight and better access to affordable healthy food. [1] They also call for stronger monitoring and follow-up through annual physical health checks. The authors note that a check is only a starting point: identifying high blood pressure or cholesterol needs to lead to a plan the person can access and sustain, with clear responsibility for arranging follow-up. [1]

The report covers a population with a wide range of diagnoses, circumstances and care needs. Its overall comparisons cannot predict an individual's future or show that each gap in care has the same cause. For policymakers and health systems, it lists points to examine, including whether risk factors found at a health check are actually treated and whether patients have the same opportunity to benefit from heart care. [1]

## Sources

1. [knowridge.com](https://knowridge.com/2026/11/severe-mental-illness-leaves-a-deadly-gap-in-heart-care-report-warns)

---

Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-44d141f3b9275053f2fe2f48_british_heart_foundation/