Deaths from potentially avoidable causes accounted for 23% of all deaths registered in England and Wales in 2012, the Office of National Statistics has found.
Figures from ONS found men are more likely to die from potentially avoidable causes than women, with about 28% (67,548 out of 240,238) dying from avoidable conditions compared with 17% (44,945 out of 259,093) of women in 2012.
The leading cause of avoidable death was ischaemic heart disease in males and lung cancer in females. In 2012, these conditions represented 22% and 15% of all avoidable male and female deaths respectively in England and Wales.
Avoidable mortality rates were significantly higher in Wales than in England throughout the period 2001-12, the research found.
Avoidable mortality rates varied across the regions of England and tended to be highest in the North of England and lowest in the South and East of England from 2001-12.
Between 2001 and 2006 cardiovascular diseases were the leading contributors to avoidable deaths. However, since 2007, the group of neoplasms (cancers and non-cancerous abnormal tissue growths) have taken over as the leading cause of avoidable deaths, the research included.
