A new study from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) reveals that American life expectancy is expected to increase over the next 30 years, but at a much slower pace than in other countries. .
The study was published in the journal The Lancet.
According to researchers, life expectancy in the United States for both men and women is projected to increase from 78.3 years in 2022 to 79.9 years in 2035 and 80.4 years in 2050.
This small increase will reduce the country’s global ranking from 49th in 2022 to 66th in 2050 among the 204 countries and territories included in the latest Global Burden of Disease Study, IHME said.
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The researchers said drug use disorders, obesity, hyperglycemia and hypertension contributed to the decline, stressing that scientific evidence supports “the urgent need to prioritize public health”.
The United States has the highest drug use-related death rate in the world, with the second-highest rate more than twice that of Canada.
According to IHME, the United States recorded an 878% increase in mortality rates from 1990 to 2021 as a result of opioid use disorder, amphetamine use disorder, cocaine use disorder, and a range of other drug use disorders.
The study also shows that life expectancy for women is declining faster than for men in other countries.
In global rankings, the United States ranks below nearly all high-income countries and some middle-income countries.
The study’s authors called the data an “alarm call to action” to find new and better health care policies.
