A new study reveals a growing healthspan-lifespan gap, highlighting that while life expectancy is increasing, the years lived in good health are not keeping pace. This means we are living longer but with more years burdened by disease.
When considering how we want to age, we often focus on numerical terms like living until 100. However, a new study suggests we should look beyond the number of birthdays. Analyzing data from 183 World Health Organization member states, including Australia, researchers examined the healthspan-lifespan gap, the difference between years lived in good health and total years lived. Australia ranks high with a gap of 12.1 years, second only to the United States (12.4 years).
Globally, the mean gap has increased to 9.6 years in the past two decades. While life expectancy has risen dramatically, health-adjusted life expectancy (years lived without disease) has remained relatively stagnant. This means we are living longer but with a greater proportion of our lives burdened by disease. Musculoskeletal diseases, mental and substance use disorders, and neurological disorders contribute most to this disease burden. Professor Luigi Fontana, scientific director of the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre, acknowledges advancements in medicine have improved treatment for acute morbidity, allowing us to live longer. However, he points out that factors like obesity and lifestyle diseases, even among younger people, hinder our quality of life. Jaya Dantas, a professor of international health at Curtin University, highlights that countries like Rwanda and Nigeria have seen significant increases in both healthspan and lifespan, partly due to reduced conflict and healthcare advancements
Healthspan Lifespan Disease Burden Lifestyle Diseases Health
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