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| Key findings from the 2006 survey - Cardiovascular disease and risk factors in adults |
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| • CVD includes ischaemic heart disease, [IHD] (heart attack, angina) and stroke, as well as other conditions such as heart murmur or abnormal heart rhythm. Heart attack, angina and stroke were more common among men than women.
• In 2006, 14% of men and 13% of women reported having been diagnosed with CVD. Heart disease was fairly uncommon in those aged under 35, but in those aged 75 and over, 44% of men and 37% of women had some cardiovascular condition.
• People with lower incomes were more likely to smoke, be obese, eat less fruit and vegetables and be less active. People with lower incomes also had poorer health, with more people reporting heart disease or stroke, diabetes or untreated high blood pressure.
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• Around 3 in 10 adults had high blood pressure. This proportion increased with age, rising to two thirds or more among people aged 65 and over. Below the age of 65, men were more likely to have high blood pressure than women.
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• The survey included measures of physical function, which provide information about people’s ability to carry out every day activities, and can predict the chances of disability, falls and use of health care services.
• Hand-grip strength, a measure of upper body strength, was greater for men than women and declined with age. By the age of 85, grip strength was about two thirds of that for 65-69 year olds on average, among both men and women.
• Walking ability also declined with age. A quarter of women aged 65 and over could not walk fast enough to cross the road in the time available at a pelican crossing.
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| iStockphoto.com/Alexander Hafemann |
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• In 2006 more people reported eating the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, an increase since 2004, from 23% to 28% among men and from 27% to 32% among women. But the proportion of men and women consuming more than the recommended fat intake also increased since 2003, from 6% to 14% in men and from 3% to 7% in women.
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• People in the highest income groups were most likely to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day and those in the lowest income groups were least likely.
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• In 2006, 24% of men and 21% of women reported currently smoking cigarettes. This varied by age and income. It was highest among men aged 25-34 and among women aged 16-24. Men and women in the lowest income groups were more than twice as likely to smoke as those in the highest.
• The proportion of men and women smoking cigarettes has decreased since 1993, from 28% to 24% among men and 26% to 21% among women. |
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