There’s no question that people are living longer today than centuries or even decades ago. However, a new study finds people may not be living very well in those extra years.
Picture this: You’ve just blown out 80 candles on your birthday cake, surrounded by family and friends. Instead of celebrating vibrant golden years, however, you’re navigating a landscape of chronic pain, mental health struggles, and persistent illness. Welcome to the new reality of aging in the 21st century.
The new study by a team at the Mayo Clinic reveals a stark truth that challenges our assumptions about longevity: We’re living longer but far from better. Researchers analyzing health data from 183 countries discovered that the additional years we’re gaining are increasingly overshadowed by disease and disability.
“The data show that gains in longevity are not matched with equivalent advances in healthy longevity,” says Dr. Andre Terzic, the study’s senior author, in a media release. “Growing older often means more years of life burdened with disease.”
The global numbers published in JAMA Network Open are sobering. While life expectancy has increased by 6.5 years over two decades, the years lived in good health have only increased by 5.4 years. On average, people now spend 9.6 years — a staggering 13% increase since 2000 — living with some form of chronic illness.
The United States emerges as the most striking example of this health paradox. Americans face the largest “health gap” globally, with individuals experiencing an average of 12.4 years of life impacted by chronic conditions — nearly 30% higher than the global average.
Perhaps most unexpected is the significant disparity between men and women. Globally, women experience a 2.4-year larger health gap compared to men. Specific disorders affecting women’s health include neurological conditions, musculoskeletal issues, and urogenital disorders.
“The widening healthspan-lifespan gap globally points to the need for an accelerated pivot to proactive wellness-centric care systems,” explains Armin Garmany, the study’s first author.
Mental health disorders, substance abuse, and musculoskeletal conditions emerged as major contributors to reduced quality of life, particularly in the United States. While people are living longer, these chronic conditions significantly diminish the quality of those additional years.
Source : https://studyfinds.org/living-longer-in-poor-health/