Families of cancer patients warned of deadly health risk that strikes a year after their loved-one's diagnosis

Families of cancer patients are almost a third more likely to suffer a potentially deadly heart condition a year after their relative's diagnosis,grim research has revealed. 

Experiencing a loved one receive a diagnosis is often stressful and traumatic for the entire family. 

But US scientists who tracked more than 150,000 relatives found they had a 28 per cent higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease a year later. 

They also had a 10 per cent higher likelihood of developing a psychological illness. 

Experts today blamed the heightened risk on financial pressures and the emotional impact of treatment,urging health professionals to take these findings into account. 

This chart shows the mortality rate for cardiovascular disease in the under 75s in England (blue bars) which is the number of deaths per 100,000 people as well as sheer number of deaths (red line). Medical breakthroughs and advanced screening techniques helped lower these figures from 2004,but progress began to stall in the early 2010s before reversing in the last few years of data 

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Slow ambulance response times for category 2 calls in England — which includes suspected heart attacks and strokes — as well as long waits for tests and treatment have also been blamed for the rise,which is also being felt in younger adults. 

Despite claims from anti-vaxxers,cardiologists say fears that Covid vaccines might have fuelled an increase in heart problems are way off the mark.

Catching cancer early,when it's most treatable,can boost survival odds up to eight-fold,data also shows. 

More than 320,000 people in England — or 900 a day — are diagnosed with cancer each year,with prostate,breast,bowel and lung the most common types. 

But NHS cancer services are repeatedly fail to achieve their targets. 

Figures released last month showed NHS England met just one of its three cancer diagnosis targets. 

Of the 273,810 urgent cancer referrals made by GPs in June,76.3 per cent were diagnosed or had the disease ruled out within 28 days. The target is 75 per cent.

Just over two-thirds (67.4 per cent) of patients started their first cancer treatment within two months of an urgent referral. 

Health service guidelines state 85 per cent of cancer patients should be treated within this timeframe.