A THIRD of adults have two or more health problems by middle-age and the trend is worsening, say experts.
They are dogged by difficulties such as a bad back, asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, mental ill health and high-risk drinking by their late-40s.
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People from poorer backgrounds were more likely to face health troubles by age 46 to 48, physical checks and questionnaires showed.
More than four in ten of them had two or more problems — compared with a third overall.
The most commonly recorded issues included high-risk drinking, back problems, mental health issues and high blood pressure.
Those with mid-life troubles had often experienced physical difficulties, such as obesity, and mental ill-health when they were youngsters, a team from University College London found.
A study from 2007 on 1.7 million people aged from 45 to 64 revealed that three in ten had two or more health problems.
Dr Dawid Gondek, of UCL, said: “Compared to previous generations, it appears that the health of British adults in mid-life is on the decline.”
He added: “Stark health inequalities appear to begin early in childhood.
“It is not a good prospect for an ageing population that you can expect to live longer but many in poor health.”
HEALTH WORRIES
Professor George Ploubidis, also from UCL, said: “We found that adults from the most disadvantaged backgrounds, those who had been overweight or obese as children and those who had experienced mental ill-health as teenagers were all at increased risk of poor health later on.
“If these links reflect causal effects, targeting these core areas in childhood and adolescence may improve the health of future generations and alleviate potential pressures on the NHS.”
Researchers analysed data from 7,951 adults taking part in a British Cohort Study from when they were born.
The number of people with dementia will triple to 153million by 2050, a US study suggests.
Researchers blame an ageing population, smoking and eating sugary and fatty foods.
People from poorer backgrounds or who experienced mental health problems as teens were found to be more likely to have poor health.
Researchers suggested interventions in childhood or teenage years might have a positive impact for future generations.
Source: Sun
