Average life expectancy in the United States rose from 77 to 76.4 years last year, bringing U.S. numbers back to their 1996 level, according to federal data released Thursday.
That means all of the medical advances of the past quarter-century have been wiped out, said Dr. Steven Woolf, professor of family medicine and population health at Virginia Commonwealth University, who was not involved in the new study.
For American men, life expectancy dropped by more than eight months, and for women the loss was about seven months, according to the study. Life expectancy, which is actually a measure of mortality rates, fell in all age categories beyond 1 year.
Although the rate of decline in life expectancy was not as dramatic as in 2020, Woolf said, the decline in 2021 was actually worse because it was on top of the 17% decline in this year.
The latest drop came as other wealthy countries rebounded from the first year of the pandemic, Woolf said. He blames a variety of factors, including low COVID-19 vaccination rates and the general poor health of Americans.
“The fact that the United States in 2020 and 2021 has done much worse than other countries is a warning sign that this health disadvantage that America has had for many years is getting really, really bad,” he said. he declares.
How many people died last year from OD? : Nearly 107,000 drug overdoses, COVID deaths, push US life expectancy to lowest in 25 years
Causes of death remained largely the same between 2020 and 2021, primarily heart disease, cancer and COVID-19, all three of which occurred more often in the past year.
Eight of the 10 leading causes of death saw statistically significant increases in 2021 compared to 2020, including unintentional injuries and strokes. Only Alzheimer’s disease and chronic lower respiratory diseases have decreased among the leading causes of death.
Mortality rates from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, which are often alcohol-related, have also increased during the pandemic, the data shows. Woolf said people might have turned to alcohol to reduce economic, social and other stress from the previous two years.
Drug overdoses have increased during the pandemic, but Woolf doesn’t like the common term “despair deaths” because many people start taking addictive painkillers on doctor’s orders after surgery.
Death rate increasing at younger ages
Woolf said he was particularly concerned about the declining life expectancy of middle-aged people, who are expected to be in their prime. This may interest you : Suicide prevention training for healthcare providers a first step in long-term effectiveness.
This trend started a decade before the pandemic, but COVID-19 has contributed to it, he said, especially for people of color. A 40-year-old with multiple health conditions was more likely to die of COVID-19 than a healthier person of the same age; Essentially, poor health makes the American population look older than they are, he said.
It’s unclear, he said, why deaths are increasing among young adults and children, which had declined before the pandemic.
The race gap reversed
The racial gap has reversed somewhat in 2021, with whites losing more ground than people of color, despite still living longer on average. See the article : The European Commissioner for Health calls for increased action against monkeypox.
During the first year of the pandemic, Hispanic and black populations experienced much higher death rates than their white counterparts. They were more likely to be exposed to COVID-19 and die when infected, Woolf said.
But in 2021, “it’s the white population that has done worse,” he said. Death rates have increased among people of color, but not as much as the 7% among whites.
American Indians and Alaska Natives continued the “tragic losses” seen in the first year of the pandemic, he said.
“The white population, which medically shouldn’t experience higher death rates, did,” Woolf said. Other data suggests it’s because white people were more likely to avoid the COVID-19 vaccination.
Woolf said he sees a clear path to improving America’s health by providing what other wealthy countries provide: quality education, affordable housing, access to healthy food, reduced income inequality and greater regulation of industries that pollute or supply potentially dangerous products such as cars or guns.
“We have to make a decision about whether we’re just going to accept these losses and accept that Americans are going to be less healthy than people (in other wealthy countries) and live much shorter lives or we have to do something. thing about it,” Woolf said. “We do not lack solutions. We lack political will.”
Woolf said he doesn’t think it will take 25 years for Americans to regain the ground lost over the past two years. Once COVID-19 deaths drop, life expectancy figures should rebound, he said.
“But the fact that we’ve taken such a hit and been pushed back so far in time when other countries haven’t is very concerning.”
Contact Karen Weintraub at kweintraub@usatoday.com.
Coverage of patient health and safety at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.
Share your feedback to help us improve our site!
Where does the USA rank in life expectancy?
Life Expectancy for Males and Females A male child born in the United States today will live to be 74.5 years old on average. This places male US citizens in 51st place in this ranking. To see also : Dobbs rule is an attack on women’s health, a healthy health culture. On average, American women are 5.7 years older and reach the age of 80.2.
What are the top 5 countries for life expectancy? Life expectancy by country 2022
- Hong Kong. Hong Kong has the highest life expectancy in the world. …
- Japan. Japan has the second highest life expectancy of 84.67 years. …
- Macau. Macau, a special administrative region of China, has the third highest life expectancy at 84,396 years. …
- Swiss. …
- Singapore. …
- Spain. …
- Italy. …
- Australia.
What country is #1 in life expectancy?
| # | The country | Life expectancy (both sexes) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | hong kong | 85.29 |
| 2 | Japan | 85.03 |
| 3 | Macau | 84.68 |
| 4 | Swiss | 84.25 |
Why does the US rank so low in life expectancy?
Why is life expectancy declining in the United States? COVID-19, drug overdoses and accidental injuries accounted for about two-thirds of the decline in life expectancy, according to the 2022 report. Other reasons included heart and liver disease and suicides.
What was the life expectancy 100 years ago in the US?
In the United States, life expectancy for men in 1920 was approximately 53.6 years. For women, it was 54.6 years. If you compare this number to the current average life expectancy of 78.93 years, you can see how much we are improving!
What was the life expectancy in 1900 in the United States? In 1900, one in 40 Americans died each year. In 2013, this rate was around one in 140, a cumulative improvement of more than two-thirds. As shown in Figure 1, life expectancy at birth increased by more than 30 years over this period, from 47 to 79 years.
What was the life expectancy in the US in 1776?
This number in itself is a tremendous achievement of modern medicine and technology. At the time of America’s founding in 1776, the average newly created American citizen could expect to live to the ripe old age of 35, giving them a few months to run for president before running for office. ‘collapse.
Why was life expectancy so low 100 years ago?
The low life expectancy of the 19th century is explained by the higher number of infant deaths. Survival beyond the first year of life was historically a predominant factor in life expectancy and once a child had reached the age of five they were much more likely to reach a later age. .
How did the average life span change from 1900 to 2000?
Since 1900, the average global life expectancy has more than doubled and now exceeds 70 years. Inequality in life expectancy is still very high between countries and within countries.
Does depression shorten lifespan?
Depression itself does not cause death, but the behaviors associated with depressed people increase the risk of chronic and fatal diseases. These diseases can include coronary heart disease, obesity, diabetes, lung disease, osteoporosis and cancer.
What is the average life expectancy of someone with major depressive disorder? The impact of major depression on overall health This difference in overall health translates on average to a reduction in future healthy life expectancy of 9.5 years for women and 9.7 years for men .
Does anxiety lower life expectancy?
Research shows that overreacting, constantly worrying, and living in a perpetual state of anxiety can shorten life expectancy.
Does depression cause rapid aging?
The condition has been linked to various other adverse effects, from a shorter lifespan to a higher risk of cardiovascular problems. New research shows that major depression can also mean premature aging.
What social factors affect life expectancy?
In addition to political regime, several major socio-economic indicators considered important determinants of life expectancy, such as economy, educational environment, and nutritional status, were also included for investigation [22-24 ].
What are the 5 factors that affect life expectancy? Important factors in life expectancy include gender, genetics, access to health care, hygiene, diet and nutrition, exercise, lifestyle and crime rates.
What are 3 factors that affect life expectancy?
Life expectancy is the dependent variable with demographics, socio-economic status and health care resources as the 3 main determinants.
What social factors contribute to life expectancy?
In addition to political regime, several major socioeconomic indicators considered important determinants of life expectancy, such as economy, educational environment, and nutritional status, were also included for investigation [22–24 ].
