Suboptimal management of risk factors for common diseases (including hypertension, poor metabolic control, late detection of cancers and poor mental health):
- drives morbidity and mortality
- reduces the proportion of the population able to work and impacts healthcare delivery within the NHS and social care systems
Cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and many cancers are increasing in prevalence in the UK. For example, there were 5.8% more cancer diagnoses in 2019 compared to 2017 and diagnosed diabetes has increased from 2% of the population in 1994 to 7% in 2019, including sharp increases in those aged under 40 years. Mental health problems spiked during the pandemic, and in children and young people remain above pre-pandemic levels. Among 17 to 19 year olds, the proportion with a probable mental disorder increased from 17.4% in 2021 to 25.7% in 2022.
The costs to the individual, the health and care system and the economy is large. In 2022, around 2.5 million people in the UK were economically inactive due to ill health, an increase of 688,000 since 2019. Cardiovascular disease costs the UK economy £15.8 billion a year and the NHS £7.4 billion, while the NHS spent over £10 billion on diabetes care in 2019, with one in 6 hospital beds occupied by someone with diabetes.
Research is needed into how best to prevent disease, ensure timely diagnosis and develop appropriate interventions to prevent acute events and chronic disease. This could significantly improve health and economic outcomes for individuals, support a healthy workforce and reduce pressure on the NHS and social care. For example, preventative interventions and early diagnosis are estimated to reduce strokes, heart attacks and dementia cases by 150,000 over 10 years, saving £2.3 for every £1 spent. In England, more than 90% of people survive bowel, breast and ovarian cancer for at least 5 years if diagnosed at the earliest stage, and Cancer Research UK estimates the cost of treating late-stage colon, rectal, lung and ovarian cancer is nearly two and a half times the amount for early-stage treatment (PDF, 1.35MB). In England, early interventions for mental health problems can reduce hospital admissions, shorten hospital stays and require fewer high-cost intensive interventions potentially saving up to £38 million per year.
See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-of-health-areas-of-research-interest/ for more information.
This question was published as part of the set of ARIs in this document:
"Lifestyle factors such as smoking, hygiene, diet, and lack of physical activity are detrimental to health and well-being, yet all involve behaviours that are controllable. These lifestyle factors are major risk fac...
Funded by: Innovate UK
Lead research organisation: CHRYSALIS HEALTH LTD
Addresses prevention, timely diagnosis, and intervention for poor health outcomes, specifically targeting lifestyle factors and risk factors for common diseases.
A number of common and long-term health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure display no signs even at advanced stages and so people may carry the disease without being aware of it. In fact, evidence shows ...
Funded by: ESRC
Lead research organisation: University of Essex
Focuses on the effects of tailored health warnings on socio-economic behaviors and health outcomes, addressing the importance of early diagnosis and lifestyle changes for health conditions.
Public health research is about finding new and more effective ways to improve the population's health and prevent disease, and ensure that health is more fairly spread in the population. This is essential to a sustainab...
Funded by: MRC
Lead research organisation: Newcastle University
Conducts public health research to prevent disease, improve health, and reduce health inequalities, aligning with the objective of preventing poor health outcomes and reducing disparities.