New initiative launches to improve heart health

A 10-month initiative in Sheffield aims to improve heart health in some of the city’s most deprived areas by bringing exercise and practical health advice into familiar community settings. The project recognises that social isolation and other barriers can make it harder for people to make healthier choices.

Run by Heart Research UK with fitness provider Community Wellness Services CIC, the scheme will take referrals from GP practices in the Peak Edge Primary Care Network. It is for people aged 31 to 75 with risk factors including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, obesity or inactivity, and will offer programmed exercise, group activities and advice on healthy eating on a budget. Heart disease rates in Sheffield are above the national average, which the charity links largely to persistent health inequalities.