Summary
A police officer named Craig Higgins died from a heart attack at the age of 48 while on duty. There is a rising number of heart-related disease cases in Yorkshire among young and middle-aged people, leading to calls for more regular heart health screenings for early detection.
Key Facts
- Craig Higgins, a police officer from West Yorkshire, died at 48 from a heart attack caused by a heart condition.
- The British Heart Foundation (BHF) reports a 23% rise in heart-related deaths among people aged 20-64 in Yorkshire since 2019.
- Heart conditions like thickened heart walls can cause the heart to struggle with pumping blood.
- Dawn Higgins, Craig's widow, mentioned he appeared healthy, exercised regularly, and lived a healthy lifestyle.
- Another case involved Joe Banks, who died from a cardiac arrest during a marathon, despite appearing healthy.
- There has been a 17% increase in heart failure diagnoses in Yorkshire since 2020.
- The BHF also noted an 11% rise in adult diabetes diagnoses, which can increase heart disease risk.
- There are calls for more routine heart screenings, especially for younger people, to catch problems early.
