London has been ranked second only to Hong Kong in a global study of cities’ efforts to prevent and treat heart disease.
The UK capital was praised by the World Heart Federation (WHF) in its ‘City Heartbeat Index’ for pursuing policies like the Ultra low emission zone (Ulez), banning junk food adverts on the Tube, and greatly expanding its cycle lane network.
The index of 50 world cities places London above every other European capital, as well as almost all global rivals, such as New York and Tokyo.
The study, funded by Novartis and independently conducted by Economist Impact, produced an overall ranking by taking account of different factors, with London scoring highest globally in the ‘governance’ factor.
WHF president-elect Dr Jagat Narula said London was “a pioneer in air pollution controls” and has at the same time taken significant steps to boost “active travel” among residents by opening up more cycle lanes, low traffic neighbourhoods, and pedestrian links.
These policies are important, he said, because exposure to air pollution is linked to the exacerbation of all major cardiovascular diseases.
London performed less well when looking at heart-related ‘health risks’, particularly in terms of people’s blood pressure levels, cholesterol intake, and consumption of trans fats.
But Dr Narula said the capital’s NHS services were working to reduce those risks, such as by using Inclisiran, a new cholesterol-lowering drug.
He stressed that as well as enabling healthier lives, actions to tackle heart disease also make clear “economic sense” for cities, with savings for the health service and workers better able to participate in the jobs market.
Responding to the findings, mayor Sadiq Khan said he was “extremely proud of the work we have done to make London a healthier place to live”.
He added: “We have made real progress improving health outcomes by taking old polluting cars off our roads and bringing cleaner air to millions more Londoners, enabling more walking and cycling and promoting healthier food advertising on our transport network.
“However, there is more we need to do to help Londoners to live in good health and I am determined to work with the new Government and our health partners as we continue to build a cleaner, greener and healthier London for everyone.”
Hong Kong and London were followed at the top of the ranking by Madrid in third place, Berlin fourth and New York fifth. At the bottom of the list was Cairo, just below Kathmandu (second-lowest) and Algiers (third-lowest).
