A study reminds us that while life expectancy is increasing on a global scale, the years lived in good health, without disability, are stagnating. “A growing threat to the quality of longevity,” according to the researchers.
- A study by the Mayo Clinic in the United States shows that global life expectancy is increasing, but not the years lived in good health.
- In 2019, the overall gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy was 9.6 years, up from 2000. In the United States, this gap reached 12.4 years, the highest in the world, worsened by chronic illnesses and mental disorders.
- Women are more affected than men, with 2.4 additional years of poor health, particularly due to neurological and musculoskeletal disorders.
Living longer does not necessarily mean living better… A recent study by the Mayo Clinic in the United States sheds light on a troubling observation: if life expectancy is increasing across the world (from 79.2 to 80.7 years for women and from 74.1 to 76.3 years for men between 2000 and 2019), the additional years that we gain are often marked by illness. The analysis, carried out in 183 member countries of the World Health Organization and published in JAMA Network Openthus reveals that the gap between life expectancy (“lifespan”) and healthy life span (“healthspan”) is widening.
A growing gap between life expectancy and healthy years
Using data from the WHO Global Health Observatory, the researchers calculated this gap by subtracting health-adjusted life expectancy from total life expectancy. . In 2019, this gap reached an average of 9.6 years globally, an increase of 13% since 2000. The largest gap was observed in the United States: 12.4 years lived on average with chronic diseases , compared to 10.9 in 2000. A situation which, according to press release scientists, poses a real challenge for public policies: “These data highlight a growing threat to the quality of longevity. It is crucial to reduce the gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy.”
The study also highlights a gender disparity: in the 183 countries studied, women live on average 2.4 years longer than men in poor health. These differences are notably linked to neurological and musculoskeletal diseases, as well as urinary and genital disorders. A trend which, according to researchers, reveals the need for more preventive health measures adapted to individual needs.
The United States leads in chronic diseases
In addition to its record gap between “lifespan” and “healthspan”, the United States stands out for its heavy burden of chronic diseases, compounded by mental health disorders, addictions and musculoskeletal pathologies. This situation highlights the urgency of structural reforms in American public health to reduce the years of life lived with disabilities.
