Kate Playground Best Movie

Mortality and morbidity

Increased life expectancy is accompanied by several years spent in health

was revealed by new research published in the December issue of the Journal of Gerontology
Spendiamo più tempo da malati rispetto ad un decennio fa

Dal 1970 al 2005 la probabilità di un sessantacinquenne di sopravvivere fino all'età di 85 anni è raddoppiata, passando dal 20% del 1970 al 40% del 2005. Molti ricercatori presumono che le stesse ragioni che permettono alle persone di vivere più a lungo, comportamenti salutistici e progressi in campo medico possano allo stesso tempo ritardare l’insorgenza di malattie consentendo di spendere meno anni di vita con una malattia debilitante. Questa nuova ricerca condotta da Eileen Crimmins, Gerontologa presso la University of Southern California ,  dimostra che il periodo medio di vita trascorso with serious or debilitating diseases has increased over the last ten years.
According to the researcher the possibility of life in health of a twenty year old today has been reduced by one year compared to a peer than a decade ago, even though life expectancy has increased.
"We always assumed that each new generation was more healthy and long-lived than the previous one," said Crimmins , "However, the compression of morbidity may be as illusory as immortality."
A male of 20 years in 1998 could expect to live another 45 years without at least one of the leading causes of death: cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. The number of years has fallen to 43.8 years in 2006, with the loss of more than a year. For young women the life expectancy of young people without serious illnesses has fallen from 49.2 years to 48 years in the last ten years.
"There is substantial evidence that we have done little to eliminate or delay the onset of disease, while we have reduced death from disease," said Crimmins "at the same time there was a significant increase in the incidence of certain chronic diseases, especially diabetes. " From 1998 to 2006 also increased the prevalence of cardiovascular disease among men, cancer in both sexes and of diabetes from 30 years onwards. In addition increased the percentage of people with more than one disease.
"The growing problems associated with obesity, hypertension and high cholesterol are the evidence that human health does not improve over the generations" reiterates Crimmins, "there seems to be moving toward a world where we arrive at the end of life without experiencing a significant period of illness, loss of function or disability. "


References:
Crimmins and Beltrán-Sánchez. "Morbidity and Mortality Trends: Is There Compression of Morbidity?" J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci (2011) 66B (1): 75-86 .