England’s poorest people have more diagnosed illnesses 10 years earlier than the rich

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A 60-year-old woman in the most deprived part of England has the same level of illness as a 76-year-old woman living in a wealthy area, new research suggests.

There is a similar yet smaller gap in men’s health – a 60-year-old man in the poorest areas can expect to have the same level of health as a 70-year-old from one of the country’s richest areas.