Research shows people are expected to live longer lives by 2030
A new collaborative study by Imperial College London and the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that human life expectancies may increase by 2030.
The study published by the Lancet surveyed data from 35 industrialized countries, according to Canadajournal.net. High-income countries represented in the study include the US, Canada and Germany, while the emerging economies include Poland, Mexico, and the Czech Republic. The countries represented in the study were selected based on availability of reliable data on deaths since at least 1965. Life expectancy is derived by assessing the age at which people die across the whole population.
Among the countries surveyed, South Korea had the longest life expectancy at birth, for both men (84.1 years old) and women (90.8 years old). As for the countries with the longest life expectancy for 65-year-olds in 2030, Canada topped the rankings for men (22.6 additional life years), while South Korea had the longest expectancy for women (27.5 additional life years).
South Korea’s promising outlook is due to a number of factors including good nutrition in childhood, low levels of smoking, and uptake of new medical knowledge and technologies, according to Imperial’s lead researcher from the School of Public Health, Professor Majid Ezzati.
Also notable in the data is the fact that women tend to outlive men. “Men traditionally had unhealthier lifestyles, and so had shorter life expectancies,” explained Ezzati. However, the gap is expected to narrow as men and women live more similar lifestyles.
The broad increase in longevity by 2030 – predicted using models similar to those for weather forecasting – is actually caused by different factors. “The increase in average life expectancy in high income countries is due to the over-65s living longer than ever before,” said Professor Colin Mathers, co-author from the WHO. “In middle-income countries, the number of premature deaths – i.e. people dying in their forties and fifties, will also decline by 2030.”
The study also reveals the possibility of life expectancies breaching the 90-year barrier – something scientists used to think was impossible, noted Ezzati. “We repeatedly hear that improvements in human longevity are about to come to an end,” he said. “I don’t believe we’re anywhere near the upper limit of life expectancy – if there even is one.”
The results also imply the necessity of considering the needs of an aging population. “The fact that we will continue to live longer means we need to think about strengthening the health and social care systems to support an aging population with multiple health needs. This is the opposite of what is being done in the era of austerity,” said Ezzati. “We also need to think about whether current pension systems will support us, or if we need to consider working into later life.”
Related stories:
Can pharmacoeconomics help reduce med plan costs?
Women’s longer lifespans emphasize the importance of retirement planning
The study published by the Lancet surveyed data from 35 industrialized countries, according to Canadajournal.net. High-income countries represented in the study include the US, Canada and Germany, while the emerging economies include Poland, Mexico, and the Czech Republic. The countries represented in the study were selected based on availability of reliable data on deaths since at least 1965. Life expectancy is derived by assessing the age at which people die across the whole population.
Among the countries surveyed, South Korea had the longest life expectancy at birth, for both men (84.1 years old) and women (90.8 years old). As for the countries with the longest life expectancy for 65-year-olds in 2030, Canada topped the rankings for men (22.6 additional life years), while South Korea had the longest expectancy for women (27.5 additional life years).
South Korea’s promising outlook is due to a number of factors including good nutrition in childhood, low levels of smoking, and uptake of new medical knowledge and technologies, according to Imperial’s lead researcher from the School of Public Health, Professor Majid Ezzati.
Also notable in the data is the fact that women tend to outlive men. “Men traditionally had unhealthier lifestyles, and so had shorter life expectancies,” explained Ezzati. However, the gap is expected to narrow as men and women live more similar lifestyles.
The broad increase in longevity by 2030 – predicted using models similar to those for weather forecasting – is actually caused by different factors. “The increase in average life expectancy in high income countries is due to the over-65s living longer than ever before,” said Professor Colin Mathers, co-author from the WHO. “In middle-income countries, the number of premature deaths – i.e. people dying in their forties and fifties, will also decline by 2030.”
The study also reveals the possibility of life expectancies breaching the 90-year barrier – something scientists used to think was impossible, noted Ezzati. “We repeatedly hear that improvements in human longevity are about to come to an end,” he said. “I don’t believe we’re anywhere near the upper limit of life expectancy – if there even is one.”
The results also imply the necessity of considering the needs of an aging population. “The fact that we will continue to live longer means we need to think about strengthening the health and social care systems to support an aging population with multiple health needs. This is the opposite of what is being done in the era of austerity,” said Ezzati. “We also need to think about whether current pension systems will support us, or if we need to consider working into later life.”
Related stories:
Can pharmacoeconomics help reduce med plan costs?
Women’s longer lifespans emphasize the importance of retirement planning
