Britons are living longer – but may not be much healthier than they were 20 years ago, according to a major global study published today.
The UK has added more than four years to its life expectancy in that time.
But diseases such as Alzheimer’s and liver disease have surged as causes of death, according to the report published in The Lancet.
And Britain has performed "poorly" in improving health compared with other countries, experts say.
The only exception has been in the treatment of heart disease, where the UK has outstripped other countries.
The report also shows that in Russia the biggest health threat is alcohol and HIV while in the US Alzheimer’s disease is a fast growing problem.
The research was led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA, and backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
One of the researchers, Professor Kevin Fenton, who is director of health and well-being at the new Public Health England agency, said the report was a "wake-up call and an opportunity".
He said: “Smoking, high blood pressure, having a high body-mass, physical inactivity and alcohol are five main risk factors for ill-health and many of the major causes of premature death. The finding that poor mental health, substance abuse and musculoskeletal disorders are among the main drivers for disability reinforces the need for the broader health system to intensify efforts in these areas.
"The reality is that nearly all of these conditions are either preventable or amenable to early intervention, providing opportunities to make a substantial difference in people’s lives, and reduce the tremendous psycho-social and economic burden of poor health on our society."
And another researcher Dr Alan Lopez, of Queensland University, Australia, said: "We found that the UK had made significant improvements in health overall, but those were masking serious problems in certain age groups.
"If you look at adults aged 20 to 54, increases in deaths from alcohol and drugs overshadowed the substantial reductions in deaths from greater cervical cancer screenings and efforts to reduce road traffic injuries."
Christopher L J Murray et al. UK health performance: findings of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. Lancet 5 March 2013 [abstract]
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