Neck and back pain health toll for Scots

PEOPLE in Scotland lose more years to poor health caused by neck and lower back pain than early heart disease, researchers have claimed.

Similarly, depression causes more years of poor health for the Scottish population than lung cancer, according to the Scottish Burden of Disease Study.

NHS researchers calculated the years of life lost due to early death combined with the years of goodquality life lost due to less than ideal health to discover how different diseases affect health and life expectancy, called the burden of disease.

Ischaemic heart disease came top of the list, with 100,400 years lost to ill health and early death, followed by neck and lower back pain at 90,200 years and depression at 76,000 years.

Lung condition chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was fourth with 60,700 years lost followed by lung cancer at 56,900 years.

Researchers from NHS Health Scotland and the information services division of NHS National Services Scotland analysed data from 2015 to compile the report, which identifies 25 specific diseases, conditions and injuries which accounted for almost 70% of the overall burden of disease in Scotland.

When categorised into broad groups, cancers caused the largest burden, followed by cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke, with mental health and substance use disorders in third place.

Women suffered a proportionally higher disease burden from lower back and neck pain, depression, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, migraine, arthritis and anxiety disorders, compared to men.

Men suffered more than than women from ischaemic heart disease, suicide and self-harm related injuries, alcohol and drug use disorders, and chronic liver disease.