Statistics indicate that approximately four million people in the UK live with long-term medical conditions. With an elderly population, this figure is expected to be on the rise. It is predicted that by 2030, about 7 million persons will be having at least a single long-term medical condition. The health of the country’s population has been a great concern, with the number of people living with long-term medical conditions being on the rise. Illnesses and medical conditions can drain us financially when they hit, especially if we are uninsured. It is thus important to ensure that we have health insurance cover. Online review sites such as Britainreviews.co.uk can help us check reviews about uk private health insurance companies and select the reputable companies from the list. An important tip is to avoid negatively reviewed insurance companies, especially when all negative reviews point out the same thing. This article goes through the top killer health conditions and illnesses in the UK.
Stroke
In England, Stroke is the primary cause of disability and the third top cause of death. Statistics indicate that over 150,000 people annually get stroke in the UK. The stroke Association points out that about 10,000 of these cases can be prevented if persons were aware of the symptoms and sought emergency treatments. Some of the symptoms of stroke include speech problems, spin and needles and facial weakness.
Heart disease
Accounting for about 74,000 deaths annually in the UK, Coronary Heart Disease is the leading killer disease in the UK. About 200 persons die daily from the disease. Over a quarter of these deaths happen in persons younger than 75 years. Health professionals point out that the majority of the deaths can be prevented. Some of the leading risk factors include high blood pressure, smoking and being overweight. In Scotland and England, statistics indicate that one in three adults have high blood pressure. The worst part is that about half of the persons with high blood pressure aren’t getting treatment. Experts recommend that persons aged between 40 and 74 should get a health check every five years to check for conditions such as high blood pressure.
Respiratory diseases
The two common respiratory diseases are Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and asthma. England records one of the greatest asthma prevalence rates globally, with statistics indicating that approximately 6% of England’s population is asthmatic. And over three million of the population of England lives with COPD, a lung disease that accounts for 23,000 deaths in the UK. Smoking has been highlighted to be the leading cause of COPD. However, 15% of COPD cases are linked to exposure to chemicals, fumes, and even dust in workplaces. In 2008 the UK recorded twice as high premature deaths in the UK as the European average, with the premature death rate for asthma being 1.5 times higher. To help reduce these numbers, health professionals recommend reducing smoking and making sure that the care that people with COPD receive is improved. The health sector should also emphasise early diagnosis, identification and intervention. COPD accounts for a majority of emergency admissions to the hospital. The disease’s acute care is costly. Treating severe COPD cost about ten times more than it is to treat mild COPD.
Liver disease
While in other European countries, liver disease is on the decline, it is still a main mortality and morbidity cause in England. For nine years, from 2000 to 2009, there was a 20% increase in deaths resulting from cirrhosis and chronic liver disease for persons below 65 years in England. The three leading causes of liver disease include harmful drinking, undiagnosed infection, and obesity, all of which can be prevented. Over a third of women and men in the UK frequently exceed the recommended levels of alcohol intake per day by the government; two to three units for women and three to four units for men.
Cancer
In the UK, cancer has been increasing, and one in thirty persons in the country either has cancer or is in remission. Statistics indicate that by the year 2030, three million persons living in England will be having a type of cancer or the other. On the positive side, survival rates in the UK are on the increase. Men surviving bowel and prostate cancer have been increasing, and women having breast cancer have a better outlook than ever before. On the other hand, cancer survival is still an issue, with the UK lagging behind other European countries. Experts indicate that a major problem when it comes to cancer is an unhealthy lifestyle, with approximately a third of cancer cases being caused by diet, smoking, obesity and alcohol.
In conclusion, with this article, the top killer health conditions and illnesses in the UK have been discussed to help the reader avoid the causes where possible.