On the pitch, they were rivals in some of the most famous clashes produced by the opposing sides of the capital divide.

But off it, legends of both Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian have teamed up to launch a new national study aimed at preventing heart attacks.

Former Hearts player and manager Jim Jefferies joined Easter Road icon Pat Stanton to launch the SCOT-HEART 2 study at the home of the Jambos – less than a year after his life was saved by medics at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (RIE).

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The ex-Tynecastle boss, who lifted the Scottish Cup with the Gorgie side in 1998, suffered a heart attack on a golf course in East Lothian in September.

Jefferies, who appeared more than 200 times for the club as a player, was treated by Professor David Newby, chair of cardiology at the University of Edinburgh, at the hospital.

They are now hoping to recruit 6,000 people aged between 40 and 70 who are at increased risk of coronary heart disease in a bid to understand and prevent cardiological issues.

Jefferies said: “When I had my heart attack, I was glad of the treatment that I received from Professor Newby and his team.

“The live-saving methods they used were based on years of research, which has reduced the number of deaths from heart attacks. I think any research we can do to bring these numbers down even further is a good thing and would encourage people to sign up for this clinical trial.” 

Those selected to take part in the study, led by Professor Newby in association with the British Heart Foundation Scotland, will be assigned a ‘risk score’ based on their lifestyle and family history of cardiological disease.

Once separated into categories, these scores will be compared against 3D models of participants’ heart and blood vessels created by CT scans.

It is hoped this will help to determine whether medication is necessary to prevent further disease, preventing patients from missing out on vital drugs, and determine their future risk of problems.

Professor Newby added: “There are 10,000 hospital admissions a year in Scotland for people with heart attacks. We are hoping our research will help reduce this number and the number of people taking unnecessary medications.”

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Initial scans will take place at the RIE, with those interested in taking part asked to complete an application online.

James Jopling, Head of BHF Scotland, said: “Every 50 minutes in Scotland, someone is admitted to hospital due to a heart attack. Just 50 years ago, more than 7 in 10 heart attacks in the UK were fatal but today thanks to huge advances in diagnosis, treatment and care – many of them made possible by research funded by the BHF – at least 7 out of 10 people survive.

He added: “We want to do more and have ambitions to see survival rates rise even further over the next decade. That’s why projects like the SCOT-HEART 2, led by Professor David Newby and his team at the University of Edinburgh, are so important and we look forward to seeing the results in due course.”