In response to a study published in the BMJ that examined the risk factors for deaths from heart disease for patients with angina, British Heart Foundation (BHF) Associate Medical Director Dr Mike Knapton said:

"This study of 1800 people living with angina in Scotland showed that those who were most likely to die from heart disease were male, older, obese or smokers.

"This is the first time this has been demonstrated in a large number of patients living in the community, rather than in hospital settings, and confirms that smoking and being obese greatly up your risk of dying from heart disease.

"This is good news for people living with angina, as it shows that it's never too late for them to change their lifestyles, or to stop smoking."