London, Jan 26 (IANS) The number of Britons people dying of cardiac arrest has come down by half in eight years, a new study says.

Helping people quit smoking and managing others with high blood pressure and high cholesterol contributed to the dipping numbers, said the study by the British Heart Foundation.

Better hospital care for those who suffer a heart attack has also contributed to the drop, the Daily Express reported.

Data from 2002 to 2010 showed the death rate fell by 50 percent in men and 53 percent in women.

Experts, however, say there was still much to be done to slash the 83,000 heart attack deaths a year.

“Too many still die from a cardiac arrest before medical help arrives,” said Peter Weissberg of the British Heart Foundation.