Life Expectancy 76.1 Years... 3-4 Years Shorter Than Advanced Countries
Greater Impact from Drug Abuse and Gun Accidents Than COVID-19
The life expectancy of Americans has declined for the second consecutive year. The average life expectancy of Americans is about 3 to 4 years shorter than that of other typical developed countries. Experts attribute this to the "serious health disparities" in the United States.
On the 25th (local time), the U.S. public radio NPR published an article titled "The Sad State of American Life Expectancy." NPR stated, "American life expectancy has fallen for two consecutive years, reaching 76 years," calling it an "unprecedented event."
During 2020-2021, when COVID-19 infection rates were severe, life expectancy decreased in the U.S. and several other countries. After vaccines were distributed, other developed countries quickly regained their previous life expectancy levels. However, according to NPR, this was not the case for the United States.
The U.S. life expectancy of 76.1 years is the lowest since 1996. Life expectancy had gradually improved over the past several decades, but recent setbacks have caused it to revert back 27 years in an instant.
NPR also pointed out that "maternal mortality rates in the U.S. surged in 2021." According to the National Center for Health Statistics under the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1,205 pregnant women died in the U.S. in 2021. This is about a 40% increase from 861 in 2020 and the highest number in 56 years since 1965.
Why is it that among developed countries, only the health of Americans is deteriorating? NPR cited a recent paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that identified the cause as "health disadvantages."
According to the paper, American children have a lower chance of surviving to age five compared to children in other high-income countries. Even Americans with healthy habits had higher disease incidence rates than their peers in other countries. The media described this as "America's health disadvantage."
The paper's authors pointed out that "Americans consume many calories and have limited universal access to healthcare," and that they face many social issues such as child poverty, racial discrimination, and social isolation. They also noted that drug overdoses, traffic accidents, violent incidents, and firearm injuries negatively impacted the average life expectancy in the U.S.
Regarding the drug problem in particular, they stated, "It originates from American pharmaceutical companies," adding, "Other countries have stricter regulations on drugs, so the problem is relatively less severe."
In fact, U.S. health authorities are struggling with drug misuse issues. Especially, addiction to fentanyl, a narcotic painkiller prescribed to patients with severe illnesses, is known to be serious.
According to a report released by the CDC last year, fentanyl misuse has already become the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18 to 49. From February 2021 to February 2022, as many as 75,000 patients died from fentanyl overdose, a number higher than deaths from traffic accidents.
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