Nearly a fifth of all deaths in the UK in 2019 were considered avoidable. What’s more, nearly a quarter of the country was at risk due to at least one underlying health condition, including a fifth of working-aged adults. “Understand, track and improve your health data to live healthier for longer,” says Randox. “Accessing your health data is key to personalised, preventative healthcare and gives you the power to extend your life.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and diabetes, are responsible for around 70% of all deaths worldwide and an estimated 80% of these are deemed preventable. That’s why it’s worth looking at ‘key health areas’ including the heart, liver, kidney, and thyroid, as well as diabetes health, to identify early signs of diseases. This allows you to take action sooner, allowing you to live healthier for longer.
“People of all age groups, regions and countries are affected by NCDs,” says the WHO. These conditions are often associated with older age groups, but evidence shows that more than 15 million of all deaths attributed to NCDs occur between the ages of 30 and 69 years. Of these “premature” deaths, 85% are estimated to occur in low- and middle-income countries. Children, adults and the elderly are all vulnerable to the risk factors contributing to NCDs, whether from unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, exposure to tobacco smoke or the harmful use of alcohol.”
Because these factors that contribute to NCDs are avoidable, it’s possible to take steps towards a healthier lifestyle. The WHO describes it as ‘modifiable behaviours’ including tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, and the use of alcohol.
Worldwide, over 7 million people die as a result of tobacco use, including the effects of secondhand smoke. Just over 4 million deaths are attributed to excess salt/sodium intake, and more than half of the 3.3 million deaths attributed to alcohol are the result of NCDs including cancer. Finally, 1.6 million annual deaths can be attributed to insufficient activity.
Risk factors include high blood pressure, hyperglycemia (high blood glucose levels), and hyperlipidemia (high levels of fat in the blood). Besides blood pressure, the leading risk factors, to which almost 1 in 5 global deaths are attributed) are being overweight and raising blood glucose.
A health check can help reveal any issues that you may have and help you and your medical provider work on solutions including lifestyle changes that may help in the long term.
