England performed better than average on a variety of key health outcomes compared with 18 other high-income countries in the European Union, and Australia, Canada, Norway, and the USA (EU15+) in 2013
England performed better than average on a variety of key health outcomes compared with 18 other high-income countries in the European Union, and Australia, Canada, Norway, and the USA (EU15+) in 2013, according to a new research published in the Lancet.
Significantly, experts found that between 1990 and 2013, England achieved one of the largest gains in national life expectancy among men at 6.4 years (to 79.5 years), behind Luxembourg, but on a par with Finland. For women, though average national life expectancy increased by just 4.4 years (to 83.2 years), it was equalling or surpassing all EU15+ countries except Finland, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Portugal.
As per the study, for men, the highest life expectancies in 2013 (at 80 years or above) were in South West England, East of England, and South East England. However, for women, the highest life expectancies were in Spain, Italy, and France at 84.4 years or above, the next highest life expectancies were in Australia and South-East England at 84 years.
The research shows that improvements in life expectancy in England have been due to declines in deaths from cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
According to the Lancet, “sickness” and “chronic disability” are instead causing a much greater proportion of the burden of disease as people are living longer with several illnesses. Low back and neck pain is the leading cause of overall disease burden, with hearing and vision loss and depression also in the top 10.
While, unhealthy diets were responsible for 10.8 per cent of disease burden and smoking (10.7 per cent).
