A new study reveals that American adults in midlife have significantly worse health compared to their British counterparts, particularly in cardiovascular health measures. The research highlights concerning disparities, with even the most advantaged Americans exhibiting similar or poorer health outcomes than the most disadvantaged Britons. This stark contrast serves as a wake-up call, underscoring the need for the US to prioritize prevention and address the broader social determinants of health. Cardiovascular disease and obesity appear to be key areas of concern.
Alarming Health Gaps
The research, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, is based on a detailed comparison of various health measures among adults living in America and Britain born between 1957 and 1965. American adults are in much worse cardiovascular health and twice as likely to be obese compared with their peers in England, the U.S. Study finds
Of more concern though is that the most socioeconomically privileged cohorts in the US report health outcomes similar to or worse than those of the most deprived groups in Britain. This indicates that determinants of health on a societal or systemic level are playing a role in poor health in the US — and while I have long recognized that, this finding drives it home.
Investigating the Root Causes
The research preceded an investigation of those health disparities’ root causes, but the researchers propose several possible explanations. Differences in physical health outcomes may reflect variation in physical activity, diet, poverty and free healthcare between the US and European countries.
High inequality combined with a weak welfare state seems to be particularly bad in the US, where even the most privileged sectors of society still face very high healthcare costs. The safety net of the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) and a more robust social welfare system could be helping to reduce these health disparities, by comparison.
A Cautionary Tale for the UK
But the British adults were far healthier in terms of cardiovascular markers than americans even though they were more likely to rate their own health as poor. But the researchers warned that this was not a reason for complacency and said that England had its own health concerns today, particularly around obesity rates and high levels of smoking.
Lead author Professor Jennifer Dowd states that the worsening trends in health in the US could predict what lies ahead for the UK, so preventing ill-health before it becomes entrenched and embroiled in society is focused on health improvement across socio-economic groups. This comparison between the Grandmother Project in West Africa and The Well London programme reinforces the need for anticipatory policymaking, as well as a care continuum across developed countries.
