Heart disease 'the biggest killer'

People preparing for retirement may want to revise their diets after learning heart disease was the biggest killer of men and women last year.

That is according to figures from the Office for National Statistics, which showed 17.1% of male deaths were attributed to this cause, against 11.5% of female deaths.

Cerebrovascular diseases, such as stroke, was the second largest killer, taking the lives of 7.1% of men and 10.4% of women.

The NHS recommends eating a healthy, well-balanced diet to stave-off the disease, so retirees should pile their plates with fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as wholegrains.

It added: "You should limit the amount of salt that you eat to no more than 6g (one teaspoon) a day because too much salt will increase your blood pressure."

Smokers hoping to enjoy a comfortable retirement might also like to ditch the habit after learning lung cancer was the most common form of the disease diagnosed in both sexes.

It was the third biggest killer of men and the fifth biggest killer of women.

Posted by Liam Tomlinson