Sunday, May 06, 2018

Edinburgh's rich live 21 years longer than the poor

People living in Edinburgh’s wealthiest areas can expect to live 21 years longer than those in its poorest. Poverty can take more than two decades off your life in Edinburgh.

 The life expectancies of men living in the impoverished areas of Greendykes and Niddrie Mains were compared with life expectancies of men from the up-market New Town. A man from Greendykes and Niddrie Mains can expect to live to the age of 63.6 years. In contrast, a man living in the more affluent area of New Town west could expect to live to 85.

People in deprived communities developed “multi-morbidity” – having more than one disease at a time – ten to 15 years earlier than the least deprived.

Professor Alison McCallum, Director of Public Health and Health Policy at NHS Lothian, said, "The figures illustrate the stark inequity in life expectancy and we will continue to work with our partner organisations to tackle the impact of these unjust differences in our society.”



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