Life expectancies in the United Kingdom and Japan.
BACKGROUND
Compared with other developed countries, the United Kingdom has exhibited less of an increase in life expectancy over the past 30 years.


METHODS
We compared the chronological changes in the age-adjusted mortality rates (AMRs) from all causes or major causes, and in life expectancy in the United Kingdom and Japan between 1970 and 1997.


RESULTS
In both 1970 and 1997 the AMRs for most major causes were higher in the United Kingdom than in Japan; the difference in the AMR between countries was smaller in 1970 than in 1997. The difference in the AMR from all causes between the United Kingdom and Japan in 1997 was mainly due to differences in the AMR for heart diseases. The trend for an increasing difference over time between the United Kingdom and Japan in the AMR from all causes was due to the decreased rate of AMR from heart diseases from 1970 to 1997 in the United Kingdom being lower than those from cerebrovascular diseases in same period in Japan.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that mortality rates could be reduced by a change in focus of the National Health Service toward an emphasis on primary rather than secondary prevention and associated clinical interventions. The greatest priority should be placed on reducing the incidence of heart disease by aggressively improving primary prevention.
Nakaji
Shigeyuki
S
Department of Hygiene, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Zaifu-cho 5, Hirosaki, 036-8562, Japan. nakaji@cc.hirosaki-u.ac.jp
MacAuley
Domhnall
D
O'Neill
Siobhan
S
McNally
Oonagh
O
Baxter
David
D
Sugawara
Kazuo
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008017:Life Expectancy / Q000639:trends*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology