Cancer Is Now the Number 1 Killer of Men in the UK

A new report shows that in the U.K., cancer has surpassed cardiovascular disease as the most common cause of death, but only among men.

The research published in The BMJ looked at the national data on both cancer and heart disease in countries in the U.K. from 2012 to 2013. Among men, fewer were dying of heart-related disease like high blood pressure and stroke than they have been in the past. Thirty-two percent of deaths among men were cancer-related and 29% were from heart disease. For women, 27% of deaths were from cancer and 28% from heart disease.

Overall, in 2012 the researchers reported that the proportion of deaths from cancer was 29% and cardiovascular disease related-deaths came out to 28%. England had the lowest rate of heart conditions and Scotland had the highest.

It’s unclear what precisely is responsible for the drop in heart-related disease, but it’s known that in some cases, heart disease is preventable with lifestyle changes.