PATIENTS living in the UK’s most deprived areas are more likely to die after heart surgery than richer people.

Data from almost 45,000 patients in the North West and Birmingham tracked for up to 10 years found an increased risk of death even after factors like diabetes and obesity were taken into account.

People in deprived areas were more likely to smoke, be obese, or have diabetes, and more likely to die within five years of the operation.