Cheshire medic says 80% of early deaths are preventable

More than 800 of the 1,000 early deaths in Cheshire East each year could be avoided, claims a Public Health Report.

In her first annual report as Director of Public Health in Cheshire East, Dr Heather Grimbaldeston, says that around 1,000 people in the borough die each year before the age of 75.

But she says that 80% of these deaths are avoidable with better healthcare, regular checkups and by adopting some sensible lifestyle choices.

And you are much less likely to die prematurely if you live in Audlem than if you reside in Crewe, latest figures show

The Director says that while the authority is ranked nationally as one of the councils with the lowest mortality rates there are worryingly wide variations between different areas.

Premature death rates in Crewe, for example, are much higher than elsewhere in Cheshire and higher than the national average, with a premature mortality rate of 311 per 100,000 population, nearly double that of Audlem.

The four big killers are cancer, heart disease, lung disease and liver disease which, between them account for 82% of all premature deaths.

Cancer is the biggest killer in Cheshire East with two fifths of people at risk of the disease.

Cardiovascular disease accounts for about a quarter of early deaths each year and there are 14,400 people with coronary heart disease, 8,200 who have had a stroke, and 3,000 suffering heart failure.

Respiratory disease accounts for almost one in ten early deaths with asthma the most common complaint and numbers are increasing.

Liver disease caused 5% of all early deaths in Cheshire East at around 50 per year and over half of these due to alcoholic liver disease.

The report says that despite the problems there has been a 22% decline in premature mortality deaths over the past nine years with the biggest drop among males, although the rates for men are still higher than for women.

Worryingly, female premature mortality rates have stalled since 2007 with only small reductions each year seen since then.

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