The heart of the matter

Coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality in England fell by about 6% every year between 2000 and 2007, yet inequalities between socioeconomic groups widened during this period.  A study published in PLOS Medicine tries to assess the reasons behind this development, concluding that trends in major risk factors for CHD, which vary considerably by socioeconomic group, are the root of the inequality.  While medical treatment has made a major contribution to lowering mortality, this effort is undercut by the effects of rising BMI and diabetes prevalence, particularly marked in lower socioeconomic groups.  A study from the Netherlands looks at how far inequalities in mortality from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) persist amongst the elderly.