March 6, 2023 · 07:29
From NPR:
The average life expectancy of Americans was shortened by more than seven months [in 2021]according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The decline follows a hefty 1.8 year decline in 2020. As a result, the life expectancy of a person born in the US is now 76.4 years – the shortest in almost two decades.
But we still have the best healthcare system in the world, right? Not if you judge it by life expectancy. From the Health Systems Tracker:
Life expectancy in the US and peer countries generally increased from 1980-2019, but decreased in most countries in 2020 due to COVID-19. From 2020 to 2021, life expectancy at birth has started to recover in most comparable countries, while it has continued to decline in the US. The CDC estimates life expectancy at birth in the US will decline to 76.1 years in 2021, down 2.7 years from 78.8 years in 2019 and down 0.9 years from 2020. Average life expectancy at birth among comparable countries is 82.4 years in 2021, down 0.2 years from 2019 and up 0.4 years from 2020.
Click the article link for a potential explanation.
Steve Parker, M.D
PS: A healthy diet, exercise and weight management promote longevity. Let me help.
