Although the overall death rates in the U.S. have declined since 1990, the latest analysis revealed that five states have seen an increase of more than 10 percent in the probability of death between ages 20 and 55. This finding is just one highlight of the latest analysis of U.S. health.
The report, published in JAMA on Tuesday, measured different health outcomes—as well as their causes—in various U.S. states between 1990 and 2016. The report was completed using information from the latest Global Burden of Disease Study, which is an international collaboration of about 3,100 scientists around the world.
For this U.S. study, the team found published data on U.S. health from 2016 and synthesized it to get a comprehensive view of health in the U.S. This also included data from death certificates, hospital discharges, health claims and a variety of national surveys, corresponding author Dr. Christopher J.L. Murray, of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, told Newsweek.
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Highlights from the report include that in 2016, Mississippi had the lowest life expectancy in the country, with a mean age of 74.7 years, while Hawaii had the highest with 81.3 years. Minnesota had the highest healthy life expectancy at birth, meaning how many years an individual can expect to live in full health, while West Virginia had the lowest.
New York and California observed the largest reductions in the probability of death for residents aged 20 to 55, while West Virginia and Oklahoma saw the largest increase in this probability. However, in five states, there was an increase of greater than 10 percent for the probability of death for ages 20-55. These states include Kentucky, Oklahoma, New Mexico, West Virginia and Wyoming.
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Murray said this increase in deaths of young Americans in these states is not a new phenomenon and has been observed for years.
"These increases started in the late 90s, in about 1998 and for almost 20 years we've been seeing in those communities in those age groups rising death rates," Murray added.
He explained that the top reasons for these deaths include diabetes, drug use disorders, suicide and cirrhosis of the liver.
Murray hopes these results will help the public understand just how modifiable a lot of the negative health patterns are. For example, factors such as tobacco use, diet and alcohol use contribute to a lot of the health problems and early deaths, but can be adjusted. Murray also explained that the report really calls to attention the importance of understanding what happens in your local community, as health risks can change from state to state.
"The trends are different so the means that the needs are different," said Murray. "It's critical to track what's going on in your local community."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
