News in brief - Feb. 7, 2011

U.S. life span lags behind other countries due to smoking, obesity

A history of heavy smoking and rising obesity has contributed to lagging life expectancy rates in the U.S. compared with other high-income countries, says a new report by the National Research Council.

Between 1980 and 2006, the average life expectancy for U.S. males rose 5.5 years to 75.1, and 3.2 years for U.S. females to 80.2. But in both instances, U.S. increases were less than the average of 21 other countries studied, even though the U.S. spends more on health care than any other nation overall and as a percentage of gross national product. Smoking rates are on the decline, but high instances of lung cancer and respiratory diseases -- especially among women -- have contributed to lower life spans in countries such as the U.S., Denmark and the Netherlands.

Obesity may account for up to a third of the shortfall of U.S. life expectancy relative to other countries, said the study, based on data from the Human Mortality Database.

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Heart disease costs to triple by 2030

Rising medical costs and the aging population will drive up the cost of treating heart disease by an estimated $545 billion to $818 billion within the next 20 years, according to the American Heart Assn.

Economic costs from lost productivity related to heart disease also are expected to increase from $172 billion in 2010 to $276 billion in 2030, the AHA said. About one in three Americans has some form of heart disease, such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke. An estimated 116 million Americans, or 40.5% of the population, will have heart disease by 2030. Stroke and heart failure are expected to see the largest increases, both going up 25%, according to the Jan. 24 AHA policy statement.

"Unhealthy behaviors and unhealthy environments have contributed to a tidal wave of risk factors among many Americans," said AHA Chief Executive Officer Nancy Brown. "Early intervention and evidence-based public policies are absolute musts to significantly reduce alarming rates of obesity, hypertension, tobacco use and cholesterol levels."

This content was published online only.

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