Life expectancy increases

Research published today in The Lancet has shown between 1990-2013 life expectancy in England increased by 5.4 years due to a fall in death rates from cardiovascular disease, stroke and other chronic diseases.

The study ranked diseases and risk factors that cause death and disability in England compared with other high income countries, and found England as a whole performed better on average than other affluent countries in the European Union, and Australia, Canada, Norway, and the USA (EU15+).

However the findings also showed health disparities between English regions, with South East England having the lowest disease burden.

Professor Peter Weissberg, Medical Director at The British Heart Foundation, said: “This study shows how successful the UK has been at reducing deaths from cardiovascular and other diseases through the application of research findings on behaviours such as diet and smoking to improve public health.

“But the burden of disease remains high in the most disadvantaged sectors of our society and our ageing population is increasingly facing multiple medical problems.

“Much would be gained if public health strategies could be devised to address this inequality and raise standards in all regions to match those of the best regions in the UK.”