DEATHS from heart disease in Glasgow have fallen almost 10% in a year, figures show.

The big drop has been attributed to more people trying to live healthier lifestyles and an increased focus on prevention of heart disease.

The reduction in Glasgow is far better than in the rest of Scotland, where the heart disease death rate also fell but by just under 4%.

Over the last decade the city has seen a huge drop in the number of deaths from the disease, which together with cancer and stroke represents the biggest cause of death in the city.

Last year 1105 people in Glasgow died of heart disease, down from 1218 in 2010.

In 2002 there were 1902 deaths from heart disease, meaning a drop of 42% over nine years.

The nationwide rate saw a drop of just under 30%.

The figures, released by ISD Scotland, the statistical wing of the health service, mean more people are surviving heart disease.

That means more are living with the condition, leading medical experts to call for continued investment in rehabilitation services.

Ben McKendrick, senior policy manager at British Heart Foundation Scotland, said: "It's great news that the number of people dying from heart disease is continuing to fall. But it is crucial we don't allow complacency to creep in.

"After all, falling death rates mean more people are living with heart disease than ever before, and in need of services like cardiac rehabilitation."

Scottish Health Secretary Alex Neil visited a cardiac rehabilitation ward in the city's Victoria Infirmary.

He said more needs to be done to maintain the improvement in the heart disease figures. He said: "It is fantastic NHS Scotland is continuing to make significant reductions in the number of deaths from heart disease and stroke.

"We have also managed to narrow the gap between the richest and the poorest areas in Scotland, showing our strategy for tackling heart disease and stroke is delivering real results for the people of Scotland.

"NHS Scotland has substantially increased access to cardiac rehabilitation in recent years, and we recognise the need to continue to improve services available for people with all heart conditions."

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has run many campaigns and been a partner in others to improve health, including the Evening Times' successful GlasGoals and Clear The Air campaigns, which helped people quit smoking.

Dr Linda de Caestecker, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's director of public health, said: "This latest report confirms that the work we are doing to improve health is paying dividends.

"This has been achieved both by improved prevention and treatment, and by people adopting healthier lifestyles.

"We have been working hard with our local authority partners for many years to improve the health of those people we serve by reducing unemployment and improving diet and physical activity."

stewart.paterson@eveningtimes.co.uk