Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and blood pressure partners in Cheshire and Merseyside have worked with NHS RightCare to launch a new, public facing Cardiovascular Disease prevention website to support the “Saving Lives: Reducing the pressure” blood pressure strategy.

Cardiovascular disease is a general term which refers to conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels that can lead to a heart attack, chest pain (angina) or stroke, caused by atherosclerosis which is when your arteries become narrowed by a gradual build-up of fatty material within their walls.

The site launched during ‘Know your numbers week’ (10-16 September) with a focus on blood pressure and will continue to evolve over time with new content being added by the multi-agency Happy Hearts Steering group on behalf of system partners, including the Cheshire and Merseyside Prevention Board.

NHS RightCare hot housing scheme identified Cheshire and Merseyside as a Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP)* region whose Blood pressure/Cardiovascular disease prevention work-streams had reached a level of maturity at which it could benefit from the rapid co-development and launch of a localised version of the “Healthy Hearts” website, successfully developed in Bradford and York.

Due to there being a high rate of morbidity and mortality for CVD locally, CVD prevention has been identified both nationally and regionally as a major priority in order to reduce the number of deaths caused by heart attack and stroke, particularly for those in high-risk groups, for example those with high blood pressure or cholesterol.

The new Cardiovascular Disease prevention website will enable local residents to prevent, identify and where possible self-manage CVD risk factors such as high blood pressure (BP), atrial fibrillation (AF) and high cholesterol through promoting current prevention work and providing educational videos, information and signposting.

The Cheshire and Merseyside cardiovascular disease and blood pressure partners work with NHS RightCare to launch the new site presents a real opportunity to improve care, health and wellbeing outcomes (reduce heart attacks and strokes) and to make financial savings to health and care systems within our region.

You can visit the website at: www.happy-hearts.co.uk, or read more about the Cheshire & Merseyside “Saving lives: Reducing the pressure” Blood Pressure Strategy at: https://bit.ly/2EKWiD8.

*Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) is also known locally as health and care partnership