Want to Live Longer?
Many want to live longer but only if living longer equates to a high quality of life. In the U.S. we tend to think we have the best healthcare, and in some ways we do. But we lag other countries when it comes to life expectancy or longevity. Though life expectancy in the U.S. is currently 78.3 years and is predicted to increase to 79.9 years in 2035 and to 80.4 years by 2050 but relative to other countries we are falling behind. Basically, we are living longer but at a slower rate than other countries.
The U.S. ranked 49th in 2022 931st in 2015) in healthy life expectancy and that is expected to drop to 66 th by 2050 out of 204 countries. The U.S. numbers are even worse for healthy life expectancy which takes into account years live in less than full health due to disease and injury. Health life expectancy is expected to decline from 80th in 2022 to 108th in 2050. So if you want to live longer healthier the U.S. apparently is not the place to be.
Why We Don’t Live Longer in the U.S.
Why does the U.S. lag in life expectancy? The drivers of poor health in the U.S. include obesity, diabetes/pre-diabetes, and elevated blood pressure. Researchers conclude that 12.4 million deaths could be averted if those risk factors were averted. All three of those factors can be minimized with changes in lifestyle.
Another life expectancy factor in the U.S. are deaths from drug use disorders. Deaths from drug use have increased from 2 per 100,000 in 1990 to 19 per 100,000 in 2021 representing an 878% increase. Such deaths have been fueled by the opioid crisis which still persists since being declared a public health emergency in 2017. Deaths from drug use are expected to increase another 34% by 2050 with 26.7 deaths per 100,000 projected.
You have a lot of control if you want to live longer. Focus on lifestyle including the avoidance of misuse of drugs. Poor health affects more than the individual. It has an impact on the economy due to a reduced workforce not to mention higher health care costs for all.
We have several articles on this website that discuss the importance and benefits of healthy nutrition and exercise. There is no magic bullet to live longer. Eat well, stay active, keep your hormones at youthful levels, learn to manage stress in healthy ways, have strong social connections, and get plenty of restful sleep will take care of many of your health needs.
Sources:
https://www.healthday.com/health-news/senior-health/life-expectancy-2665800590.html
https://www.newsmax.com/health/health-news/health-global-us/2024/12/06/id/1190585/
