AN Oxford University study has shown there are now as many new cases of heart failure each year as the four most common cancers combined.

Research from The George Institute for Global Health at the university also found that not only are people in the most deprived socio-economic groups more likely to be affected by heart failure, but the gap between the richest and poorest did not close at all between 2002 and 2014.

People living in more deprived areas are likely to be affected by heart failure about three and a half years earlier in life than those living in more affluent areas.

The research, led by Nathalie Conrad and Professor Kazem Rahimi, analysed data from four million people.

PhD student Ms Conrad said: "If we could achieve the incidence rates we see among the most affluent groups for the population as a whole, we would observe a fall of about one-fifth or nearly 32,000 fewer cases every year."

The study showed that heart failure affected nearly a million people in the UK in 2014 – a rise of 23 per cent from 2002.

Despite modest improvements in prevention and an increase in the age at which patients develop the disease, there are now as many new cases of heart failure each year as there are of the four most common cancers – lung, breast, bowel and prostate – combined.

The rise in the incidence of heart failure is largely due to an increase in the number of older people in the UK.

The number of people aged 65-69 rose by 36 per cent between 2002 and 2014, with the post-war ‘baby boomer’ generation reaching an age at which they are at greater risk of heart failure.

Professor Rahimi added: "The number of diseases associated with heart failure was high, and increased over time.

"This suggests that as the number of patients with heart failure grows, caring for them is also becoming more complex, increasing the burden on health services."

Further research is needed to understand what is behind the varying rates of heart failure in different communities.

The discrepancies may be linked to the presence of other illnesses, to risk factors such as blood pressure, smoking and diet or to a less effective use of drugs that can help prevent heart failure.

Associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation Professor Jeremy Pearson added: "Heart failure is a cruel and debilitating illness affecting nearly a million people across the UK, with sufferers in severe cases often having poorer survival rates than many cancers.

"Currently, heart failure is incurable and difficult to treat, and the number of people living with it is increasing.

"This study highlights the urgent need for more to be done to end the postcode lottery in heart failure incidence."