THE burden of debilitating heart failure has inspired a major new research programme by the British Heart Foundation to find a cure, which could help many sufferers in West Devon.

The condition, which is often caused by damage to the heart during a heart attack, means the heart can no longer pump properly.

It is one of the UK's leading causes of disability with some patients housebound and fighting for breath, making getting out of bed or eating a meal incredibly difficult.

Early stages of heart failure involve symptoms such as tiredness and breathlessness. However, the condition is progressive and in the latter stages people are often housebound and suffer chronic physical fatigue with even eating a meal or getting dressed making them breathless.

The number of people dying of heart disease, which includes heart attacks, in Devon has fallen from 3,200 in 1994 to 1,978 in 2008.

Figures from the BHF for West Devon show 135 deaths in 1994, falling to 93 in 2008.

The BHF has unveiled a major new programme of research in regenerative medicine to find a cure.

The Mending Broken Hearts project, which started this week, will involve stem cell research and developmental biology to work out how to repair or replace damaged heart muscle to literally 'mend broken hearts' in as little as ten years' time.

To fund the programme, the charity is encouraging people across Devon to support its Mending Broken Hearts Appeal.

The five-year fundraising campaign is the charity's most ambitious to date, and coincides with the BHF's 50th anniversary.

The BHF is urging the public to support the Mending Broken Hearts Appeal. Call 0300 333 0333 or visit bhf.org.uk/mbh to order an appeal pack.