Life expectancy will average 77.5 years in 2022, a slight increase of 1.1 years from 2021, according to new research. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Life expectancy at birth increased by 1.1 years… primarily due to reductions in mortality from COVID-19, heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, and homicide,” the report said.
Life expectancy has improved slightly, but remains below the peak of 78.9 years a decade ago. Life expectancy in the United States is also lower than in other comparable countries.
Life expectancy differs depending on gender
Life expectancy for men increased by 1.3 years from 73.5 years in 2021 to 74.8 years in 2022. Life expectancy for women increased by 0.9 years from 79.3 years in 2021 to 80.2 years in 2022. This is a 5.4 year age difference in life expectancy between men and women. CDC.
What is the cause of the decade-long decline in life expectancy?
The coronavirus pandemic and deadly drug overdoses have caused numerous deaths in the United States. COVID deaths In 2022, approximately 186,552 people lost their lives. In comparison, fatal overdose claimed her 107,941 lives.
“The age-adjusted drug overdose death rate nearly quadrupled, from 8.2 deaths in 2002 to 32.6 deaths in 2022,” according to the study. This rate did not change significantly between 2021 and 2022.
Heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death in the United States and have been since the early to mid-1990s. According to the CDC. In 2021, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was the third leading cause of death, but in 2022 it was second only to “unintentional injuries” such as drug overdoses.
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Why do some people live longer than others?
“Up to 25% of longevity is genetic,” Dr. Amit Shah, an internist and geriatrician at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, told USA TODAY. The rest is determined by “factors within our control,” he says. Diet and exercise are two factors that can affect our longevity.
Socioeconomic status also plays a major role in healthy aging and longevity, with poorer communities with limited access to health care being hit hardest. “People who live in societies with the longest-lived people (outlined in Dan Buettner’s The Blue Zones) have high levels of social engagement with the role older adults should play in their families and society. Shah told USA TODAY.
Contributor: Darryl Austin
