HUNDREDS of Welsh families face losing a loved one every month to heart disease, according to new figures.

The findings from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Cymru show Wales sees 403 men and women, on average, die from heart disease every month.

The findings mark National Heart Month.

Luke Mallett, head of volunteer fundraising at BHF Cymru, said: "The figures published in our Coronary Heart Disease Statistics 2012 give a snapshot of the state of the nation's heart health.

"These show that every year nearly 5,000 people lose their lives to heart disease, Wales's single biggest killer.

"We need to raise vital funds in Wales to help care for people with heart disease, to support their families, to campaign on their behalf and to fund pioneering research to save lives."