Study: We live longer, but not necessarily healthier

People around the world are living longer than in the past, but the extra years of life are increasingly associated with chronic diseases, disabilities, and other health problems.

That's the conclusion of a study published in The Lancet Public Health, where researchers analyzed data from 204 countries and territories. According to them, the average global life expectancy has reached 73.8 years, but the increase in the number of years lived has not been accompanied by a corresponding increase in years spent in good health.

In 2023, people globally spent an average of 14.5% of their lives with health problems. This means that a significant portion of the years gained thanks to medical advances and reduced mortality are being spent with diseases or limitations that may not be fatal, but significantly impact quality of life.

Rich countries face another problem

The study highlights a paradox: in countries where people live longer, they also tend to spend more years with health problems.

In high-income countries, the proportion of life spent in poor health reached 15.7% in 2023. The Netherlands was among the countries where this figure increased most significantly, from 13.2% in 1990 to 15.7% in 2023.

The gap between life expectancy and years lived in good health was particularly large in the United States, Australia and Canada.

On the other hand, countries like Nauru, the Solomon Islands and Laos recorded fewer years lived with health problems.

The diseases that are taking away our healthy years

Researchers estimate that 57.4% of the gap between life expectancy and years lived in good health is related to diseases and conditions that are not necessarily fatal, but cause disability or reduce quality of life.

The main problems include low back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders, mental health problems, hearing loss, and other diseases associated with aging. This group also includes injuries caused by accidents.

In lower-income countries, the situation is also affected by malnutrition, respiratory infections, tuberculosis and neglected tropical diseases.

Overweight and smoking among the main risk factors
The study identifies several factors that contribute to the loss of healthy years of life. Among them are obesity, malnutrition of mothers and children, smoking, high blood sugar levels and air pollution.

Excessive alcohol consumption and drug use were found to be more important in high-income countries, while unprotected sex remains a significant risk factor in sub-Saharan Africa.