Latest news with #NickSteel
Euronews
19-02-2025
- Health
- Euronews
Why European life expectancy gains have slowed and how to boost longevity again
Life expectancy may have fallen across Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic, but longevity gains were tapering off for nearly a decade beforehand – and a new study sheds light on why. Europeans born today can expect to live into their 80s, far outpacing most of the world, but that may not always be the case. While life expectancy surged in the 1990s and early 2000s, it slowed in the 2010s before plummeting during the pandemic and rebounding in its aftermath, offering clues about how government policies shape health outcomes. The new study on these changes, which was published in The Lancet Public Health journal, included Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden, as well as the United Kingdom nations of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Across these 20 countries, Europeans gained an average of 0.23 years of life expectancy per year between 1990 and 2011, as deaths from heart disease and cancer fell. That means every year for two decades, people could expect to live nearly three months longer than those born just one year earlier. 'Advances in public health and medicine in the 20th century meant that life expectancy in Europe improved year after year,' Nick Steel, a professor at the University of East Anglia in the UK and the study's lead researcher, said in a statement. 'But this is no longer the case'. Longevity gains slowed to 0.15 years (1.8 months) of annual added life expectancy from 2011 to 2019, according to the analysis. UK countries, led by England, saw the most stagnation in the 2010s, followed by Germany and Spain. Meanwhile, life expectancy barely budged in Iceland and the deceleration was minimal in other Nordic countries. The study authors said the overall slowdown was due to an increase in deaths from heart disease tied to obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, poor diets, and a lack of exercise. Independent researchers said that some of the shift could also be due to population-level changes over time. 'The demographics of the European population have changed markedly in some countries such as the UK, France, and Germany because of increased migration compared to Nordic countries,' Tom Sanders, professor emeritus of nutrition and dietetics at King's College London, said in a statement. Pandemic impact Then came the COVID-19 pandemic. Between 2019 and 2021, life expectancy fell in most of the countries studied. Respiratory infections and other pandemic-related health issues drove the downturn from 2019 to 2021, but countries where life expectancy gains had slowed most in the 2010s were also more affected by the pandemic. For example, Greece and England saw the biggest decreases in life expectancy during the pandemic, losing a respective 0.61 and 0.6 years – more than seven months each. Meanwhile, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, and Ireland continued to see their life expectancies rise, and longevity remained level in Belgium. That indicates people in the Nordics, Ireland, and Belgium were better prepared to weather the pandemic, the study authors said. 'Comparing countries, national policies that improved population health were linked to better resilience to future shocks,' Steel said. How to boost life expectancy The study authors said government policies could try to curb health risk factors by promoting healthy diets and exercise and ensuring access to medical care. Other research has shown that greater public investment in education and disability services corresponds with a longer life expectancy, as does having a higher gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Meanwhile, a 2021 study from England indicates that cuts to local government spending may increase gaps in life expectancy between wealthier and more deprived areas. The study authors said, however, it's still possible to turn around Europe's recent longevity losses. 'Life expectancy for older people in many countries is still improving, showing that we have not yet reached a natural longevity ceiling,' Steel said. More recent data from the European Union indicates that life expectancy has rebounded somewhat since the pandemic, with the average person expected to live to 81.5 years in 2023. Austria, Finland, Estonia, the Netherlands, Greece, and Germany were the only EU countries where life expectancy continued to fall that year. 'Life expectancy mainly reflects mortality at younger ages, where we have lots of scope for reducing harmful risks and preventing early deaths,' Steel said.
The Independent
18-02-2025
- Health
- The Independent
The big reason England is falling behind other European nations in life expectancy
England's waistlines are expanding, leading to the country lagging behind other European nations in life expectancy, a study suggests. Researchers are calling for urgent action to combat unhealthy lifestyles, citing poor diets and a lack of exercise as key factors. While advances in heart disease and cancer care boosted life expectancy between 1990 and 2011, these improvements slowed considerably from 2011 to 2019. Researchers attribute this slowdown to rising body mass index (BMI) scores, poor diets, and low exercise levels. The study, led by experts from the University of East Anglia (UEA), examined life expectancy trends across 20 European countries from 1990 to 2021. The researchers compared various factors impacting life expectancy in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and other European nations including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. Between 1990 and 2011, all countries experienced annual life expectancy improvements, averaging 0.23 years. However, the rate of improvement decreased between 2011 and 2019 in all but one country (Norway). In England, life expectancy increased by an average of 0.25 years annually from 1990 to 2011. This slowed to an average increase of 0.07 years in 2011 to 2019. Researchers said that England experienced the largest decline in life expectancy improvement during the period studied. Between 2019 and 2021, which includes the first part of the Covid-19 pandemic, most countries saw a fall in life expectancy except for Ireland, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Researchers said that the countries which 'best maintained' improvements in life expectancy had fewer heart disease and cancer deaths. They called for government action to improve overall population health, including helping people to have better diets and more exercise. Lead researcher Professor Nick Steel, from UEA's Norwich Medical School, said: 'Advances in public health and medicine in the 20th century meant that life expectancy in Europe improved year after year, but this is no longer the case. 'We found that deaths from cardiovascular diseases were the primary driver of the reduction in life expectancy improvements between 2011–19. Unsurprisingly, the Covid pandemic was responsible for decreases in life expectancy seen between 2019–21.' He continued: 'Countries like Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium held onto better life expectancy after 2011, and saw reduced harms from major risks for heart disease, helped by government policies. 'In contrast, England and the other UK nations fared worst after 2011 and also during the Covid pandemic, and experienced some of the highest risks for heart disease and cancer, including poor diets.' Asked about England specifically, he said: 'We're not doing so well with heart disease and cancer. 'We have high dietary risks in England and high levels of physical inactivity and high obesity levels.' The trends are decades long and there isn't a quick fix, he said.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Life expectancy in England rising more slowly than rest of Europe
Life expectancy in England is rising more slowly than in the rest of Europe, according to a new Lancet study. Obesity, bad diet and a lack of physical activity are behind a decade of life expectancy stagnation, the researchers said, with stalling progress to tackle deaths from heart disease and cancer. Scotland had the lowest life expectancy among the 20 countries analysed, followed by Wales and Northern Ireland. However, England was the country that had made the slowest progress since 2011. Between 1990 and 2011 life expectancy in England improved every year by an average of 0.25 years. However, from 2011 to 2019 the rate of improvement fell to just 0.07 years on average. The Covid-19 pandemic saw life expectancy decrease by 0.6 years between 2019 and 2021, wiping out the previous decades' progress. As of 2019, the life expectancy in England was 81.69 years, ranking 14th out of the 20 European countries assessed. While all countries apart from Norway saw their progress fall between 2011 and 2019, the new analysis revealed that England's advancement slowed the most. Experts from the University of East Anglia have called for urgent action to help people get healthier, with poor diets and couch-potato lifestyles partly to blame. Advances in life expectancy between 1990 and 2011 have been attributed to improvements in care for heart disease and cancer. Poor diet, low levels of exercise and increasing body mass index scores have been linked to the slowdown of these improvements from 2011 to 2019. Academics compared several factors linked to life expectancy across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. Between 2019 and 2021, which includes the first part of the Covid-19 pandemic, most countries saw a fall in life expectancy except for Ireland, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Researchers said that the countries which best maintained improvements in life expectancy had fewer heart disease and cancer deaths. They called for government action to improve overall population health, including helping people have better diets and more exercise. Prof Nick Steel, the lead author from UEA's Norwich Medical School, said heart disease was the main cause for the slowing progress in life expectancy since 2011, as well as the pandemic. 'Countries like Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium held onto better life expectancy after 2011, and saw reduced harms from major risks for heart disease, helped by government policies,' he said. 'In contrast, England and the other UK nations fared worst after 2011 and also during the Covid pandemic, and experienced some of the highest risks for heart disease and cancer, including poor diets.' He added: 'We have high dietary risks in England and high levels of physical inactivity and high obesity levels. These trends are decades long – there isn't a quick fix.' He said the message to the current Government was that societal change needed to be bigger than 'easy access to scanners and a well man check or well woman check with your already overloaded GP'. 'This is about the big, long-term population protections from risk – so engaging with the food industry to improve our national diet to make it easier for people to eat healthier food and make it easier for people to move a little bit in our day-to-day lives.' Prof Steel added: 'Life expectancy for older people in many countries is still improving, showing that we have not yet reached a natural longevity ceiling. 'Life expectancy mainly reflects mortality at younger ages, where we have lots of scope for reducing harmful risks and preventing early deaths. 'Comparing countries' national policies that improved population health were linked to better resilience to future shocks.' Figures from the Office for National Statistics released last week show that about one in five girls born in the UK in 2030 is projected to live on average to at least 100 years old, rising to almost one in four by 2047. The projections are lower for boys but still indicate a rise, with more than one in eight males born in 2030 living to celebrate their centenary, climbing to about one in six by 2047. The study is published in The Lancet Public Health journal.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
England lags behind European countries when it comes to life expectancy
The expanding waistbands of the English public have left the nation lagging behind other European countries when it comes to life expectancy, a study suggests. Experts have called for urgent action to help people get healthier, with poor diets and coach potato lifestyles partly to blame, researchers suggested. Advances in life expectancy between 1990 and 2011 have been attributed to improvements in heart disease and cancer care. But poor diets, low levels of exercise and increasing body mass index (BMI) scores have been linked to the slow down of these improvements in 2011 to 2019. Academics wanted to assess life expectancy advances across 20 European countries from 1990 to 2021. Researchers, led by experts from the University of East Anglia (UEA), compared several factors linked to life expectancy across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. All countries showed annual improvements in life expectancy in 1990 to 2011, with an overall increase of an average of 0.23 years. The rate of improvement was lower in 2011–19 than in 1990–2011 in all countries except for Norway. Boys born in the UK in 2023 can expect to live on average to 86.7 years and girls to 90.0 years based on projections of cohort life expectancy, which take into account changes in mortality patterns over their lifetime. Read more➡️ — Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) February 14, 2025 From 1990 to 2011, life expectancy in England rose by an average of 0.25 years. This slowed to an average increase of 0.07 years in 2011 to 2019. Researchers said that England experienced the largest decline in life expectancy improvement during the period studied. Between 2019 and 2021, which includes the first part of the Covid-19 pandemic, most countries saw a fall in life expectancy except for Ireland, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Researchers said that the countries which 'best maintained' improvements in life expectancy had fewer heart disease and cancer deaths. They called for government action to improve overall population health, including helping people have better diets and more exercise. Lead researcher Professor Nick Steel, from UEA's Norwich Medical School, said: 'Advances in public health and medicine in the 20th century meant that life expectancy in Europe improved year after year, but this is no longer the case. 'We found that deaths from cardiovascular diseases were the primary driver of the reduction in life expectancy improvements between 2011–19. Unsurprisingly, the Covid pandemic was responsible for decreases in life expectancy seen between 2019–21.' He continued: 'Countries like Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium held onto better life expectancy after 2011, and saw reduced harms from major risks for heart disease, helped by government policies. 'In contrast, England and the other UK nations fared worst after 2011 and also during the Covid pandemic, and experienced some of the highest risks for heart disease and cancer, including poor diets.' Asked about England specifically, he told the PA news agency: 'We're not doing so well with heart disease and cancer. 'We have high dietary risks in England and high levels of physical inactivity and high obesity levels. 'These trends are decades long – there isn't a quick fix. 'And I guess the message to the current Government is, 'Great that one of your big three shifts for the NHS is to move to prevention, but it needs to be more than … easy access to scanners and a well man check or well woman check with your already overloaded GP. 'This is about the big, long-term population protections from risk – so engaging with the food industry to improve our national diet to make it easier for people to eat healthier food and make it easier for people to move a little bit in our day-to-day lives.' But he said that we have 'not yet reached a natural longevity ceiling'. Prof Steel added: 'Life expectancy for older people in many countries is still improving, showing that we have not yet reached a natural longevity ceiling. 'Life expectancy mainly reflects mortality at younger ages, where we have lots of scope for reducing harmful risks and preventing early deaths. 'Comparing countries, national policies that improved population health were linked to better resilience to future shocks.' Figures from the Office for National Statistics released last week show that about one in five girls born in the UK in 2030 is projected to live on average to at least 100 years old, rising to almost one in four by 2047. The projections are lower for boys, but still indicate a rise, with more than one in eight males born in 2030 living to celebrate their centenary, climbing to about one in six by 2047.
Telegraph
18-02-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Life expectancy in England rising more slowly than rest of Europe
Experts from the University of East Anglia have called for urgent action to help people get healthier, with poor diets and couch-potato lifestyles partly to blame. Advances in life expectancy between 1990 and 2011 have been attributed to improvements in care for heart disease and cancer. Poor diet, low levels of exercise and increasing body mass index scores have been linked to the slowdown of these improvements from 2011 to 2019. Academics compared several factors linked to life expectancy across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. Between 2019 and 2021, which includes the first part of the Covid-19 pandemic, most countries saw a fall in life expectancy except for Ireland, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Government action required Researchers said that the countries which best maintained improvements in life expectancy had fewer heart disease and cancer deaths. They called for government action to improve overall population health, including helping people have better diets and more exercise. Prof Nick Steel, the lead author from UEA's Norwich Medical School, said heart disease was the main cause for the slowing progress in life expectancy since 2011, as well as the pandemic. 'Countries like Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium held onto better life expectancy after 2011, and saw reduced harms from major risks for heart disease, helped by government policies,' he said. 'In contrast, England and the other UK nations fared worst after 2011 and also during the Covid pandemic, and experienced some of the highest risks for heart disease and cancer, including poor diets.' He added: 'We have high dietary risks in England and high levels of physical inactivity and high obesity levels. These trends are decades long – there isn't a quick fix.' He said the message to the current Government was that societal change needed to be bigger than 'easy access to scanners and a well man check or well woman check with your already overloaded GP'. 'This is about the big, long-term population protections from risk – so engaging with the food industry to improve our national diet to make it easier for people to eat healthier food and make it easier for people to move a little bit in our day-to-day lives.' Natural longevity ceiling not yet reached Prof Steel added: 'Life expectancy for older people in many countries is still improving, showing that we have not yet reached a natural longevity ceiling. 'Life expectancy mainly reflects mortality at younger ages, where we have lots of scope for reducing harmful risks and preventing early deaths. 'Comparing countries' national policies that improved population health were linked to better resilience to future shocks.' Figures from the Office for National Statistics released last week show that about one in five girls born in the UK in 2030 is projected to live on average to at least 100 years old, rising to almost one in four by 2047. The projections are lower for boys but still indicate a rise, with more than one in eight males born in 2030 living to celebrate their centenary, climbing to about one in six by 2047. The study is published in The Lancet Public Health journal.
