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Publication, Part of

Health Survey for England, 2021 part 2

Official statistics, National statistics, Survey, Accredited official statistics

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Adults' health

Summary

This report examines general health, diabetes, raised cholesterol, and hypertension among adults aged 16 and over.

Detailed tables accompanying this report can be accessed here.


Key findings

  • 77% of adults reported good or very good general health. 6% reported bad or very bad health.
  • 40% of adults had at least one longstanding illness or condition. This included a higher proportion of women (43%) than men (37%).
  • Prevalence of doctor-diagnosed diabetes increased with age, from 1% of adults aged under 35 to 16% of those aged 75 and over.
  • The prevalence of raised cholesterol was 59%.
  • The prevalence of hypertension increased with age, from 9% of adults aged 16 to 44 to 60% of adults aged 65 and over.
  • After age was taken into account, the prevalence of hypertension varied by quintile of the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), ranging from 23% in the least deprived quintile to 40% in the most deprived quintile.

Last edited: 16 May 2023 9:31 am