Brits: Healthier Than Americans

May 2, 2006 — -- Spending big bucks means getting your money's worth, right?

This doesn't seem to be the case with health care, especially in the United States.

New research shows that while Americans spend considerably more on medical care than the British, the spending doesn't seem to translate into healthier people.

Middle-aged Americans have a higher rate of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and lung cancer than their British counterparts, based on a new analysis of surveys and medical exams.

Nearly 16,000 white American and British citizens between the ages of 55 to 64 were surveyed and given medical exams to determine their health status. Researchers with the RAND Corp. also examined the socioeconomic -- education and household income -- position of each participant. The results were published in today's issue of Journal of the American Medical Association.

Although British residents smoke more and drink more, they tend to be healthier in many areas.

Some findings: Obesity was higher among Americans and was especially bad among lower-education and -income groups. U.S. residents also were two times more likely to develop diabetes. They scored 10 points higher in blood pressure, and heart disease was 50 percent more common.

Stroke and lung disease were higher in the United States as well.

One possible reason for the difference: The English health-care system covers essentially the entire population. Other doctors noted that a lot of emphasis was placed on raising healthy children, which often leads to healthier adults.

"The U.K.'s focus on primary care means that the average doctor knows the average patient better, and so has less need to rely on costly testing," said Dr. Alan Sager, director of the Health Reform Program at Boston University.

Lifestyle also may play a role, one doctor said.

The "stress and pace of life" here in America is drastically different and that "stress has bad effects on health," said Dr. Joseph White, a professor at Case Western University. This is especially true for people who lack health insurance.