Healthy life expectancy

Healthy life expectancy is the number of years a person can expect to live in good health. Healthy life expectancy in Birmingham is much lower than the national average with men in Birmingham expecting to live 59 years in good health compared to 63 years nationally and for women 59 years, compared to 64 years nationally.

These trends are reflected in Birmingham’s over 65 population with men aged 65 expected to live only 8 years in good health, compared to 11 years nationally and for women aged 65, only 9 years in good health, compared to 11 years nationally.

With an increasing population of older people in Birmingham there is a need to focus on preventing or delaying the deterioration of physical, mental and emotional wellbeing due to age related challenges. With age comes an increased risk of developing 2 or more chronic health problems such as Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) (around 3% of persons nationally), Cancer (367,000 cases annually), respiratory disease (can effect up to one in five people), diabetes (around 7% of population) and pain. Frailty, recurring back problems and the risk of falls increases with age and poor mental health, isolation and loneliness can affect those with an ever-decreasing social network and limited opportunities for personal contact. NHS Health Checks are the best way to get an early indication for many of these conditions and to enable you to manage your health effectively.

The NHS Health Check is a Free health check-up for eligible adults aged 40 to 74. It is designed to spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and dementia. As we get older, we have a higher risk of developing one of these conditions and an NHS Health Check can help find ways to lower your risk. To find out if you are eligible contact your GP surgery or check the NHS Health Check website.