Fewer people in Britain are dying from Heart disease but the north-south divide in deaths from the illness is widening, according to a review of studies on the topic.

Heart disease is Britain’s biggest killer with 114,000 deaths in 2003 - 3 times more than lung cancer - and more people die from it in the north than in the south.

“The north-south divide in death rates has been a problem for decades and it is concerning that the gap is not narrowing, despite efforts made in recent years to improve public health in those areas most in need,” said Professor Peter Weissberg, of the British Heart Foundation.

The difference in heart disease death rates between the north and south was about 40 percent in the 1980s but it now fluctuates between 50-70 percent.

In Scotland there were 244 deaths per 100,000 men under 75 years of age and 90 per 100,000 women, compared to 146 and 49 in southwest England, which had the lowest rate.

Thanks to improvements in medical care, the number of people living with Heart disease in the United Kingdom has risen from 6 percent in 1994 to 7.4 percent in 2003 and from 4.1 percent to 4.5 percent in women.

About 2.6 million people suffer from the illness.

“It is a complicated issue and it is still not clear exactly why the disparities are so pronounced,” Weissberg said.

“It is likely to be due to a combination of factors such as lifestyle, social inequalities and healthcare provision.”

The figures, in a report by the British Heart Foundation, also showed that more men and women in Scotland smoke than in England. They also eat less fruit and vegetables, which could be a contributing factor to Heart disease. People in Scotland and northern England also drink more alcohol.

“Smoking is one of the big issues that needs to be addressed. Scotland and Wales’ impending moves to smoke-free workplaces, aimed at protecting workers, should have the welcome added effect of helping more smokers to give up, but still greater efforts are needed to reduce smoking rates across the UK,” Weissberg added.