Health gap between high- and low-income earners in U.S. is greater than in England

The impact of income inequality on health seems to be greater on those in the U.S. than those in England, according to new research. Scientists looked at data from nearly 13,000 middle-aged adults in the U.S. and England, and calculated the health gap between the top 20% and bottom 20% of income earners in both groups. The gap was significantly greater among U.S. adults in 13 of the 16 measures the study looked at: measures included self-reported assessments such as climbing up flights of stairs as well as physician-diagnosed conditions such as diabetes and cancer. Disparities were greater within the U.S. than within England: 29% of low-income earners in the U.S. had diabetes compared to around 12% of the high earners. At the same time, only about 14% of low-income earners in England had the condition, compared to 6% of the top earners.