Lancet Study Reveals 'Two Factors' That Decide The Life Expectancy Of People in US

A new Lancet study titled Ten Americas: a systematic analysis of life expectancy disparities in the USA highlights alarming disparities in life expectancy across racial, ethnic, and geographic groups in the United States.

The study analyzed death records and population estimates from the year 2000 to 2021 and revealed that life expectancy can vary by more than 20 years depending on one's race, ethnicity and location.

What did The Study find?

The study found that life expectancy gaps have widened, despite the increase in health policies, screenings, and awareness. Looking at the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, also noted disparities and unequal distribution of resources and opportunities. Senior author Christopher JL Murray also pointed out that these inequalities have profound effects on the well-being and longevity, especially for the marginalized populations.

Life expectancy and the trend

The trend shows that life expectancy rates have gone down, and the gap between the lowest life expectancy group to the highest life expectancy group has only widened.

In 2000, life expectancy ranged from an average of 70.5 years for Americans in the lowest life expectancy group to 83.1 years for those who were in the highest life expectancy group. This means, in 2000, there was a difference of 12.6 years between the two groups. However, by 2010, the gap widened to 13.9 years, further widening to 18.9 years in 2020 and 20.4 years in 2021. The study also highlighted that life expectancy in the US is moving in the wrong direction and has been falling behind the countries with the same wealth and resources in the past two decades.

Who has the lowest life expectancy vs who has the highest?

The groups with the lowest life expectancy in 2000 included Black Americans living in non-metropolitan and low-income counties in the south, and some of those who lived in highly segregated urban areas. American Indians and Alaska Native individuals who lived in the West also had low expectancies.

However, Asian Americans had the highest average life expectancy during the same period. While over the decade, life expectancy increased for all groups, American Indians and Alaska Natives were left behind.

For the White and Latino population, the life expectancy varied based on their geographic location. White Americans in low-income regions like Appalachia and the Lower Mississippi Valley experienced lower life expectancies than those in the other areas.

When did the gap widen?

By the year 2021, the life expectancy disparities had grown, and the COVID-19 pandemic also worked as a catalyst for the cause. Asian Americans had an average life of 84 years, while American Indians or Alaska Natives had a lower average of 63.6 years. Non-Hispanic Black Americans also noted a sharp decline in their life expectancy, it dropped from 74.8 years in 2019 to 71.0 in 2021.

The study highlighted the economic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the marginalized population, which has led to catastrophic losses in life expectancy. These populations have been historically underserved and due to this were disproportionately affected by the pandemic. This resulted in widening health disparities, which made them unable to access healthcare due to a lack of resources.

Call To Action

Murray has called for policymakers to take collective action to address the root cause of these disparities. He also urged the US government to invest in healthcare as well as educate people on employment opportunities to break away from the systemic challenges that are contributing to these health inequities.