Almost one in four people die from diseases and illnesses that could have been prevented had they lived a healthier lifestyle.
In 2013, 23 per cent - 114,740 deaths of 506,790 - were from avoidable causes, new figures released by the Office for National Statistics reveal.
And the statistics show men are most at risk.
At least 60 per cent of potentially avoidable deaths each year between 2001 and 2013 were among males.
While 17 per cent of female deaths were deemed potentially avoidable, 28 per cent of male deaths were.
The term 'avoidable death' refers to the loss of life where.....
public health interventions including vaccinations and changes to lifestyle could have made a difference.
In addition it considers those deaths that could have been avoided through good quality healthcare.
Experts told MailOnline it is important to empower people to help them make healthier lifestyle choices, if the trend is to be reversed.
Quitting smoking, adopting a healthier diet and regularly exercising are among the changes that can make a huge difference, they said.
Coronary heart disease was found to be the most common individual cause of avoidable death for all people - accounting for 17 per cent of these deaths in 2013.
But when data for the sexes was examined separately, lung cancer emerged as the most common cause of avoidable death in women - accounting for 15 per cent.
Doireann Maddock, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, told MailOnline: 'These figures show that thousands of people are still dying needlessly from coronary heart disease.
'While we’ve made great progress over the last decade to significantly reduce deaths from cardiovascular disease, the number of people living with this condition continues to rise.
'As well as funding world-class research to help save the lives of heart patients we need to empower individuals to make healthier choices.
'Following a healthy diet, keeping physically active, stopping smoking and maintaining healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels can all help reduce your chance of developing heart disease.'
Meanwhile Dr Rebecca Lyness, of Cancer Research said the report reveals 'just how dark a shadow the tobacco industry casts'.
But, she said public health interventions, including plain, standardised packs for cigarettes can help stop young people adopting the habit.
She said: 'The report highlights how public health measures could help curb these deaths.
'Up to two thirds of long term smokers will die from a disease linked to their addiction so it’s vital we act to stop children starting.
'Selling cigarettes in plain, standardised packs with new graphic health warnings, and putting tobacco out of sight in shops, will help make cigarettes less attractive to children.
'It’s also important to help smokers break this deadly addiction so continued funding for local stop smoking services is essential.'
Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, said the fact lung cancer remains the biggest cause of avoidable deaths among women, is a 'sad consequence of the number of women that began smoking in the '60s and '70s'.
She acknowledged that the recent fall in preventable deaths is, in part, due to the decline in overall smoking rates.
However, she said: 'We will need to ensure that smoking rates continue to fall if we want this progress to continue into the future.'
Dr Woods said while prevention is 'of course preferable', to cut the number of deaths it is vital that people are alert to the symptoms and seek medical help at the earliest opportunity.
'Delayed diagnosis is a major reason why survival rates in this country lag behind those in Europe and the US,' she told MailOnline.
'Progress here will need a continuation and expansion of the kind of awareness campaigns, like Be Clear on Cancer, that have already started improving rates of early diagnosis across the country.
'Research anticipated later this year will also give us a strong indication as to whether widespread screening could help improve early diagnosis – if the results are positive, the onus will be on our health services to roll this out accordingly.'
The majority of potentially avoidable deaths was among men in every year between 2001 and 2013, the ONS said, but, while the gap between the sexes narrowed in England in 2013, it increased in Wales.
Avoidable mortality rates for cardiovascular disease - disease of the heart or blood vessels - fell by more than half (52 per cent) between 2001 and 2013, the greatest decrease by any broad cause group.
Avoidable mortality rates fell significantly in all regions between this period.
In 2001, 140,820 deaths were from causes considered avoidable and, while there were 317.3 deaths per 100,000 population in 2001, this dropped to 221.6 deaths per 100,000 population in 2013.
But the ONS said that, while rates fell significantly in each year between 2001 and 2012, for the first time there was no significant change in rates between 2012 and 2013.
Males saw a 32 per cent decrease in rates from 2001 to 2013.
But, although they fell significantly in successive years between 2001 and 2012, there was no significant change in rates between 2012 and 2013.
Avoidable mortality rates also fell for females, but at a slower pace than for males and there was no significant change in rates between successive years on three occasions, the most recent between 2012 and 2013.
The greatest decrease was in London, where rates for males and females fell by 38 per cent and 36 per cent respectively.
The smallest decrease was in the South West, where they fell by 27 per cent and 23 per cent respectively.
Avoidable mortality rates were highest in the North of England and lowest in the South and the East of England.
For males they were highest in the North West, (325.8 per 100,000) followed by the North East (317.1 per 100,000), with Wales the third highest (316.2 per 100,000).
The same order was repeated in females.
-DM
Share your thoughts....thanks!
No comments:
Post a Comment