Professor Bryan Williams

What Professor Bryan Williams has said

• “Long delays in paediatric pathology services are not only highly distressing for families, but they can also leave other family members who may share the same genetic risk factors at risk of sudden cardiac death.”

  Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the British Heart Foundation · Children's health · 30 Sept 2026 · Bereaved parents who waited nearly a year for answers after son’s death call for action ↗

• “Today's publication cements cardiovascular disease as a national priority and is a significant step towards saving more lives from heart attack and stroke. With extraordinary pressure on the NHS, and cardiovascular disease claiming one life every 4 minutes in England, this focus on cardiovascular car”

  Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the British Heart Foundation (BHF) · Heart disease & stroke · 30 Sept 2026 · New heart disease and strokes plan to save thousands of lives ↗

• “That said, there is evidence from trials that do show that statins reduce the risk of dementia so the findings in this study are certainly plausible.”

  chief scientific and medical officer of the British Heart Foundation · Mental health · 29 Sept 2026 · Statins can reduce dementia risk by up to 15%, long-term study suggests ↗

• “Better detection and treatment could help tens of thousands of people to avoid a preventable heart attack and stroke. But to achieve this, we will need to rethink how we identify, treat and support those at risk so that blood pressure checks and effective treatment can benefit everyone.”

  chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation · Heart disease & stroke · 29 Sept 2026 · Millions in England unaware they have condition that raises stroke risk ↗

• “This is a landmark moment, a radical shift in how we define and diagnose heart attacks worldwide which will transform people's care. For decades, women have missed out on accurate diagnoses and treatment.”

  Chief Scientific and Medical Officer of the British Heart Foundation · Women's health & gynaecology · 29 Sept 2026 · New heart attack definition promises better care for women ↗

• “Elevated blood pressure in childhood often persists into adulthood, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke later in life.”

  chief scientific and medical officer of the British Heart Foundation · Public health & prevention · 10 Sept 2026 · High blood pressure rates in children nearly doubled in 20 years, global review finds ↗

• “This interesting research suggests that we should be encouraging people to get regular blood pressure checks from a younger age, when it is often much easier to control. 'It should also prompt us doctors to reconsider whether we should be recommending earlier lifestyle changes or medication to bring people's blood pressure back under control as soon as it becomes elevated, to provide longer term health benefits.'”

  based at UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science and also chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation · Heart disease & stroke · 10 Sept 2026 · New study suggests benefit of earlier-life blood pressure checks and management ↗

• “The test "could benefit patients around the world". "After a diagnosis of HCM, patients and their families want to know what the future holds. This study shows that measuring various proteins circulating in the blood could help predict how the heart is functioning and future risk of complications from heart disease."”

  Chief scientific and medical officer of the British Heart Foundation · Heart disease & stroke · 10 Sept 2026 · Blood test could predict who is most at risk from common inherited heart condition ↗

• “These findings are hugely important and provide authoritative, evidence-based reassurance for patients. Among the large number of patients assessed in this well-conducted analysis, only four side effects out of 66 were found to have any association with taking statins, and only in a very small proportion of patients.”

  chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation · Heart disease & stroke · 10 Sept 2026 · Statins not linked with most side effects in patient information leaflets ↗

Where Professor Bryan Williams has been quoted

1. Worried about statins? Saga’s new health podcast can helpsaga.co.uk · 28 Oct 2026
2. Bereaved parents who waited nearly a year for answers after son’s death call for actionpublicfirst.co.uk · 30 Sept 2026
3. New heart disease and strokes plan to save thousands of livesgov.uk · 30 Sept 2026
4. Statins can reduce dementia risk by up to 15%, long-term study suggeststheguardian.com · 29 Sept 2026
5. Millions in England unaware they have condition that raises stroke risknrtimes.co.uk · 29 Sept 2026
6. New heart attack definition promises better care for womentheguardian.com · 29 Sept 2026
7. High blood pressure rates in children nearly doubled in 20 years, global review findstheguardian.com · 10 Sept 2026
8. New study suggests benefit of earlier-life blood pressure checks and managementpulsetoday.co.uk · 10 Sept 2026
9. Blood test could predict who is most at risk from common inherited heart conditiontheguardian.com · 10 Sept 2026
10. Statins not linked with most side effects in patient information leafletspulsetoday.co.uk · 10 Sept 2026

Related media coverage

Recent UK press coverage of their topics — not necessarily citing them directly.

• What is PMOS and why did the name change? The Express GP explainsDaily Express
• Worried about statins? Saga’s new health podcast can helpSaga Magazine News
• Hotter summers, hidden harmsCentre for Mental Health