Almost 9,000 people die here annually from heart disease and stroke. Given that 80% of cardiovascular disease is preventable, all but approximately 1,800 of these lives could be saved if the right evidence-based policies were put in place. The financial cost of doing so would be far from prohibitive. Much larger amounts of another currency are required to tackle this grim toll of death and misery, that is, political will. We need more political will to address the factors fuelling preventable cardiovascular disease, including overweight and obesity, uncontrolled blood pressure, smoking, physical inactivity, excess alcohol intake and air pollution. Strong action on these issues, along with cost-effective measures to remove chronic deficits in heart and stroke services, will impact innumerable lives in every corner of the country.