England’s north-south life expectancy gap grows despite record longevity

England's life expectancy has hit a record high, with men now living to 80 and women to nearly 84 on average, according to a King's Fund report. But those gains are concentrated in the south, and the north-south gap is actually widening. The King's Fund points to higher rates of heart disease and cancer in northern regions, along with more deaths linked to suicide and alcohol and drug misuse.

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