More than 1m people in poverty with heart and breathing problems at risk from cold

ONS data shows 1.3m people in UK with these conditions live in poverty, and are more likely to be exposed to cold

More than a million people living with heart and breathing problems could be at greater risk of hospitalisation or death owing to poverty leaving them more likely to be exposed to the cold, new figures suggest.

The data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that there are 1.3 million with cardiovascular and respiratory conditions living in poverty, and that they are more likely to be elderly, prompting calls for extra help to deal with the cold weather.