82 - Pulmonary circulatory disorders

Summary

This is a sub-category of All cardiovascular deaths (see Map 9).

Pulmonary circulatory disorders relate to the part of the cardiovascular system that carries oxygen-depleted blood away from the heart to the lungs and returns oxygenated blood back to the heart.

There are striking geographical variations to be found across this map. Places that are geographically close to each other and otherwise quite similar, such as Manchester and Liverpool, appear at opposite ends of the rate scale. Rates are low along much of the coast from the north of Scotland down to north Wales, and around Hull on the east coast. They are as low in parts of Sheffield as in Outer London, and as high in Plymouth as in Middlesbrough.

Most of the deaths in this category are due to pulmonary embolism, which is when an artery supplying the lungs becomes blocked by a blood clot. The condition starts with the blood clotting within a vein, typically in the leg (a deep vein thrombosis or DVT). Part of the clot breaks off, flows in the bloodstream through the heart, and out into the lungs. It

commonly occurs one to two weeks after a period of immobility, such as can be caused by an operation. Symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath and rapid heart rate. Death can be immediate. It is usually treated with anticoagulant medication, and in severe cases with surgery.