A HEART patient from Hapton has questioned a study which said all people aged over 55 should be offered drugs to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

Researchers from Wolfson Institute at Barts and London Medical School said that when assessing the risk of heart problems, offering treatment to all over-55s had the same results as testing for cholesterol or blood pressure problems.

But the Department of Health said the study's focus was too narrow and ignored other health problems, and the British Heart Foundation said risk factors beside age needed to be taken into account.

Nick Hartshorne-Evans, from Hapton, a former heart failure patient and founder of patient support group Pumping Marvellous, was diagnosed at 39 after suffering a viral infection.

Now 40, he said that an all-encompassing age-based approach could miss cases in younger people and that people needed to be aware of genetic conditions along with the damage caused by things like alcohol, drug abuse, cigarettes and unhealthy food.

He said: “I think sometimes the powers that be, who potentially shape such vast policies like this, look for a magic pill.

“Things like congenital heart defects this doesn't apply to and there is lots of that in younger people.”