England faced with changing health needs & # 39;

England is facing changing health demands as the population ages and the NHS must adapt quickly, says Public Health England.

He compiled what he calls "the most complete picture" of the current state of health and fitness of the country.

This shows that the population of England is growing in size and that people are living longer but not all are in good health.

Although smoking rates are declining, diabetes, obesity, dementia, and mental health problems are on the rise.

How is England?

The Health Profile for England report shows that the average life expectancy has reached 79.6 years for men and 83.2 years for women. In 2017, there were 1.35 million people aged 85 and over in England – almost three times more than in 1971.

By 2031, it could exceed two million, according to Public Health England.

But the number of years of life in poor health also increases.

The latest data suggests that people can expect to live about 63 years in good health.

This means that men face about 16 years of poor health – a fifth of their lives – and that women are over 19 years of age or almost a quarter of their lives in poor health.

Age-related diseases, such as dementia, have increased.

Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, is already the leading cause of death among women and it is expected to overtake heart disease soon to become the leading cause of death among men.

Hearing loss, vision loss and muscle and joint problems have also increased.

But heart attacks and strokes have decreased as blood pressure and cholesterol levels have improved.

Lifestyles

Obesity and smoking are the two main risk factors for health.

While smoking rates have decreased, rates of obesity have increased.

In 2016, one in four adults was obese – and Public Health England expects adult obesity rates to continue to rise.

The number of people with diabetes is also increasing and is expected to increase by one million to nearly five million by 2035.

Poor mental health also takes a heavy toll.

In youth, mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, as well as substance use, now account for one-third of all health problems.

Inequalities in the health of the population also persist.

The inhabitants of the richest regions of England have more than 19 years of better health than those of the poorest.

Professor John Newton, Director of Health Improvement at Public Health England, said, "The challenge now is for the NHS to respond to this changing landscape and focus on disease prevention and treatment.

"In many ways, it needs to respond faster than ever because the rapid evolution of these data, in epidemiology, is truly remarkable."

Helen Stokes-Lampard, President of the Royal College of GPs, said: "As this report shows, there are a number of reasons why some people are more likely to develop these conditions than others, including genetic predisposition and socio-economic factors, but there remains a clear link between the quality of life of our patients and their overall health.

"For example, it is very encouraging to see that the prevalence of smoking has only decreased by 15% over the past seven years, but the risks of developing diseases such as diabetes remain a concern and often result from a poor diet. and lack of exercise, as well as genetic factors. "

She called for more investments to help the NHS provide the care that patients need and deserve.