Newry man’s loss shapes call for heart disease prevention

Terry Rice from Newry is supporting a new British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland campaign after his husband, Derek Waters, died suddenly following a heart attack aged 61. The charity’s report, launched at Stormont yesterday 20 October, says as many as 500 families could be spared the loss of a loved one prematurely to cardiovascular disease each year. BHF NI is calling on every political party to commit to prevention ahead of the Assembly election in 2027.

Terry, 54, said goodnight to Derek and told him he loved him in February 2026. The next morning he woke to find that Derek, who was from Derry had died in his sleep from a cardiac arrest caused by a heart attack. A post-mortem examination found blocked coronary arteries and hypertension as the cause. The couple, affectionately known as Del and Tel, had been together for eight years and married for two and a half.

Terry said: “He was the kindest, loveliest man and always saw the positive in everything. We were kindred spirits, looking forward to many years of happiness, where we could just be ourselves, together, until that was cut short.”

In the months before Derek died, he experienced a persistent cough, toothache and heartburn, but neither he nor Terry had any reason to suspect an underlying heart problem.

“I had worked in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics and considered myself informed about medical conditions and symptoms, but this caught me completely unawares,” Terry said. “Finding out afterwards that the signs might have been there felt like a dagger to my heart. I kept thinking, ‘What if I had known?’”

Since Derek’s death, Terry has encouraged friends and family to attend health checks, take prescribed medication and seek advice when symptoms persist. He booked a full health review with his own GP and now hopes that sharing their story will prompt others to act.

“People should know that it is okay to ask about their heart health,” Terry said. “We need to get beyond the feeling that we are bothering doctors or that there is no point trying to get an appointment. Better awareness and earlier action, and a system that reaches out to detect and treat could make all the difference.

“I want to do something that might spare another person the pain and the ‘what ifs’ I have had to live with. Would Del still be alive if we had known more? I cannot answer that. But if sharing our story reaches one person and prompts them to act, it will have made an impact.”

The report 'Northern Ireland’s Hearts Need More: Making prevention a priority' warns that cardiovascular disease kills around 4,400 people a year. In 2024, 1,330 people died from the disease before the age of 75, the highest annual number of premature cardiovascular deaths in Northern Ireland since 2010. BHF estimates that up to 2,500 premature cardiovascular deaths could be prevented over the next Assembly mandate through public health interventions.

More than 230,000 people in Northern Ireland are living with cardiovascular disease, and the conditions directly lead to around 28,000 hospital admissions each year. Around 70% of the cardiovascular burden is associated with modifiable risk factors, which are very often preventable. An estimated 400,000 people have high blood pressure, including as many as 100,000 who may be undiagnosed and unaware of the serious health risks it can pose.

The charity said many of these deaths are not inevitable. Major risk factors, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity and diabetes, can often be identified and better managed before they lead to a devastating heart attack or stroke.

BHF NI is asking for three actions. It wants restrictions on price and location-based promotions of food and drink high in fat, salt and sugar, which it says are contributing to rising obesity levels. It also wants a smoke-free Northern Ireland by 2035 through the Tobacco and Vapes Act, more smoke-free spaces and a new tobacco control strategy. The third is a dedicated Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Management programme to identify people with high levels of undiagnosed or poorly managed cholesterol and blood pressure earlier and connect them with the right support and treatment.

Fearghal McKinney, Head of British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland, said: “Behind these figures are hundreds of families who could be spared the heartbreak of losing someone they love too soon. Cardiovascular disease remains one of Northern Ireland’s biggest killers, but too often we are waiting until people become seriously ill instead of finding and managing their risk earlier.

“We know many of the things that put people’s hearts at risk, and we know more can be done to tackle them. With an Assembly election approaching, every political party now has an opportunity to commit to a healthier future by making the prevention of cardiovascular disease a priority.

“Northern Ireland does not lack the evidence to act. What we can’t afford is to wait.”

Professor Sir Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland, said: “Cardiovascular disease continues to have a profound impact on people, families and health services across Northern Ireland. Greater emphasis on prevention, early identification and effective management of risk factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol can help prevent serious illness and save lives.

“This must include reaching communities and population groups that have historically had lower uptake of prevention and care. Working across government, health and social care and local communities will be essential if we are to narrow inequalities and support more people to live healthier lives for longer.”

Prof Patrick Donnelly, Consultant Cardiologist and NI cardiac rehabilitation and prevention lead, said: “The great tragedy is that 12 people are dying from cardiovascular disease in Northern Ireland every day. During the Covid-19 pandemic, figures like these were rightly treated as a national emergency, yet today there is a danger that the premature lives being lost are being relegated to just more disease statistics.

“Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK without a strategic plan for the detection and management of cardiovascular disease, leaving people facing a postcode lottery in access to the services and expertise that could save their lives.

“We are not systematically identifying people at risk early enough, and the pressure this creates across the health service is palpable. If we are to change the trajectory, we must invest more of our budget in prevention rather than crisis management.”

Prof Donnelly added: “This is not prevention instead of treatment; it is prevention that will protect our capacity to treat patients in the future. Cardiovascular disease is not inevitable, and earlier detection and management of risk factors can prevent avoidable illness, hospitalisation and death.”

Launching the report at the Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, BHF Northern Ireland said the evidence, public support and workable policy solutions are already available. With 230,000+ hearts needing more and as many as 500 families a year potentially spared heartbreak, it said hearts cannot wait. What hearts need now is action.

For further information and to read the report, visit www.bhf.org.uk/niheartsneedmore