Report shows men in parts of Leicestershire more than twice as likely to die prematurely

Men in parts of Leicestershire are more than twice as likely to die prematurely than elsewhere in the county, a new report has found. Men’s health charity Movember found that men in the Leicester West constituency, which includes Beaumont Leys, New Parks and Westcotes, die before the age of 75, at a rate of 749 out of every 100,000 men per year.

Leicester East had the second highest premature death rate in our county at 570 per 100,000 men, followed by Leicester South at 555 per 100,000. In contrast, men in the South Leicestershire constituency die prematurely at a rate of 314 men per 100,000, the lowest in the county.

Men living in the most deprived areas of the country are 81 per cent more likely to die young than those in the most affluent areas, according to Movember’s report. The charity argued that leading causes of death, such as lung cancer and heart disease, could be prevented by quitting smoking, drinking less alcohol, eating healthily and attending health checks and appointments.

Leicestershire’s unclaimed estates could leave some residents with thousands of pounds

Michelle Terry, CEO of Movember, said the report’s findings should be a “wake-up call” to the unacceptable state of men’s health in the UK. She said: “For too long, men’s health has been relegated to the sidelines of wider health conversations.

“Men’s health doesn’t exist in a vacuum. If we want to reduce these tragic figures and better support the men in our lives, real change is urgently needed. We need to invest in education, reform the health system to meet the unique needs of all genders and have a dedicated men’s health strategy if we are to make real progress.”

What does premature male death look like for you? Check out our interactive map below.

After South Leicestershire, the former constituency of Charnwood had the second lowest rate in our county at 342 per 100,000, followed by the former seat of Bosworth at 363 per 100,000 and the former seat of Rutland and Melton at 370 per 100,000. North East Hampshire has the lowest premature mortality rate in the UK, with men dying under the age of 75 at a rate of 223 per 100,000.

Nationally, two out of five men die before the age of 75 from preventable causes, with 133,000 men dying prematurely each year. The report also found that men’s health in the UK is worse than in many other wealthy countries.

A boy born in the UK in 2021 can expect to live to be 78.7 years old – four years shorter than a girl, more than three years shorter than boys in Switzerland, 2.6 years shorter than boys in Australia and 1.3 years shorter than boys in Ireland, the report says. There are also big differences within our country, as our interactive map above shows.

We are now the first to bring you the latest updates on WhatsApp