Re: US life expectancy tops 78 as top diseases decline

[Guest guest]

Sounds like male life expectancy only. Isn’t female higher, around 80 or 82?

From: citpeks <citpeks@...>

Reply-< >

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:10:03 -0000

< >

Subject: [ ] US life expectancy tops 78 as top diseases decline

http://news./s/ap/20080611/ap_on_he_me/med_life_expectancy_1

ATLANTA - For the first time, U.S. life expectancy has surpassed 78

years, the government reported Wednesday. The increase is due mainly

to falling mortality rates in almost all the leading causes of death,

federal health officials said. The average life expectancy for babies

born in 2006 was about four months greater than for children born in 2005.

However, the United States continues to lag behind about 30 other

countries in estimated life span, according to World Health

Organization data.

Japan is No. 1 on the list, with a life expectancy of 83 for children

born in 2006. Switzerland and Australia were also near the top of the

list.

....

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

" ....... for children born in 2006. "

My understanding of the definition of life expectancy means that

the '2006 life expectancy' has little to do with how long a child

born in 2006 will live. (Journalists " filling in the space " as

usual.)

Life expectancy is a calculation which *assumes* that if 100,000

people lived their lives so that the percentage of that cohort which

died each year, at each age, was exactly that which happened to

pertain in 2006, then that is how long they would live.

But no one expects those born in 2006 to experience mortality rates,

at each age, that are the same as those seen in 2006. Mortality

rates by age never have been static, and are unlikely ever to be.

Nor is the 2006 life expectancy the average age at death of those

who died in 2006.

JFI.

Rodney.

>

> Sounds like male life expectancy only. Isn¹t female higher,

around 80 or

> 82?

>

>

>

> From: citpeks <citpeks@...>

> Reply-< >

> Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:10:03 -0000

> < >

> Subject: [ ] US life expectancy tops 78 as top

diseases decline

>

>

>

>

>

>

http://news./s/ap/20080611/ap_on_he_me/med_life_expectancy_1

>

> ATLANTA - For the first time, U.S. life expectancy has surpassed 78

> years, the government reported Wednesday. The increase is due

mainly

> to falling mortality rates in almost all the leading causes of

death,

> federal health officials said. The average life expectancy for

babies

> born in 2006 was about four months greater than for children born

in 2005.

>

> However, the United States continues to lag behind about 30 other

> countries in estimated life span, according to World Health

> Organization data.

>

> Japan is No. 1 on the list, with a life expectancy of 83 for

children

> born in 2006. Switzerland and Australia were also near the top of

the

> list.

>

> ...

>

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

This article contains a useful chart of US life expectancy going back to 1930.

The 78 number is both genders combined. Females live about six years longer than males, approximately. 80·7 compared with 75·4 for males.

Rodney.

>> Sounds like male life expectancy only. Isn¹t female higher, around 80 or> 82?> > > > From: citpeks citpeks@...> Reply- > Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:10:03 -0000> > Subject: [ ] US life expectancy tops 78 as top diseases decline> > > > > > http://news./s/ap/20080611/ap_on_he_me/med_life_expectancy_1> > ATLANTA - For the first time, U.S. life expectancy has surpassed 78> years, the government reported Wednesday. The increase is due mainly> to falling mortality rates in almost all the leading causes of death,> federal health officials said. The average life expectancy for babies> born in 2006 was about four months greater than for children born in 2005.> > However, the United States continues to lag behind about 30 other> countries in estimated life span, according to World Health> Organization data.> > Japan is No. 1 on the list, with a life expectancy of 83 for children> born in 2006. Switzerland and Australia were also near the top of the> list.> > ...>

[Guest guest]

The Washington Post had the article with a few paragraphs explaining a “Hispanic paradox” - see below.

Also I happened to hear futurist Ray Kurzweil being interviewed on NPR recently. He claims that life expectancy is increasing at 3 months longer per year lived right now and will eventually (in 30 years or so from now) reach an increase of 1 year for every 1 year lived (Of course this would mean never dying unless in wars, accidents, murders etc.). I’ll have to see it (if I live that long) to believe it.

The “Hispanic paradox”:

“The overall mortality rate for Hispanics in 2006 was 550 deaths per 100,000 people. For non-Hispanic whites, it was 778. For non-Hispanic blacks, it was 1,001. This is unexpected because average income and education among Hispanics (except for Cuban Americans) is below that of whites. Those two variables strongly predict health and mortality.

Researchers have offered various theories to explain the " Hispanic Paradox, " first recognized in the late 1970s.

One is that it does not exist but is only the result of bad data and confusion over who is classified as Hispanic. This explanation has been largely discounted, said Arias, a demographer at the National Center for Health Statistics and an expert on the topic.

Other theories are that Hispanic immigrants tend to return home to die; that immigrants are inherently healthier than people in the countries to which they move; or that something in the habits or lifestyle of Hispanics in the United States is conducive to good health.

" We have found that the paradox applies more to the foreign-born, " Arias said. " That leads us to believe something happens in the assimilation process that takes away the advantage. "

Family support, traditional diet and relatively low rates of smoking among immigrants probably contribute to the lower mortality rate among Hispanics. But that is not likely to be the full explanation.

" There isn't just one answer. I think it is a combination of factors, " she said.”

From: Rodney <perspect1111@...>

Reply-< >

Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:14:03 -0000

< >

Subject: [ ] Re: US life expectancy tops 78 as top diseases decline

Hi folks:

This article contains a useful chart of US life expectancy going back to 1930.

The 78 number is both genders combined. Females live about six years longer than males, approximately. 80·7 compared with 75·4 for males.

Rodney.

>

> Sounds like male life expectancy only. Isn’t female higher, around 80 or

> 82?

>

>

>

> From: citpeks citpeks@...

> Reply-

> Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:10:03 -0000

>

> Subject: [ ] US life expectancy tops 78 as top diseases decline

>

>

>

>

>

> http://news./s/ap/20080611/ap_on_he_me/med_life_expectancy_1

>

> ATLANTA - For the first time, U.S. life expectancy has surpassed 78

> years, the government reported Wednesday. The increase is due mainly

> to falling mortality rates in almost all the leading causes of death,

> federal health officials said. The average life expectancy for babies

> born in 2006 was about four months greater than for children born in 2005.

>

> However, the United States continues to lag behind about 30 other

> countries in estimated life span, according to World Health

> Organization data.

>

> Japan is No. 1 on the list, with a life expectancy of 83 for children

> born in 2006. Switzerland and Australia were also near the top of the

> list.

>

> ...

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Folks:

Worth bearing in mind also that because of the way life expectancy is (properly) calculated, not all the improvement in it from year to year occurs in older people. The four month improvement reported for the latest year is the combined result of reduced mortality at all ages from zero on up.

OFs are no longer able to take advantage of improvements in mortality of those in their thirties, forties or fifties, for example.

It would be interesting to see the data showing what the annual improvement is for people of all ages, so we can pick our own age and draw some conclusions relevant to ourselves.

It would also be interesting to see for, say, someone 65 years old now, what life expectancy was in the year they were born. Presumably that cohort is living appreciably longer than its life expectancy at birth because of improvements in nutrition, immunizations, anti-biotics, disease treatment techniques, safer cars, trains and aircraft, and so on.

Rodney.

> >> > Sounds like male life expectancy only. Isn¹t female higher, around 80 or> > 82?> > > > > > > > From: citpeks citpeks@> > Reply- > > Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:10:03 -0000> > > > Subject: [ ] US life expectancy tops 78 as top diseases decline> > > > > > > > > > > > http://news./s/ap/20080611/ap_on_he_me/med_life_expectancy_1> > > > ATLANTA - For the first time, U.S. life expectancy has surpassed 78> > years, the government reported Wednesday. The increase is due mainly> > to falling mortality rates in almost all the leading causes of death,> > federal health officials said. The average life expectancy for babies> > born in 2006 was about four months greater than for children born in 2005.> > > > However, the United States continues to lag behind about 30 other> > countries in estimated life span, according to World Health> > Organization data.> > > > Japan is No. 1 on the list, with a life expectancy of 83 for children> > born in 2006. Switzerland and Australia were also near the top of the> > list.> > > > ...> >>

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

Ooooops, sorry forgot to link the article:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h4GsoQM0SuXEoFD06BWhfK1t84qgD9182ORG0

Rodney.

> > Hi folks:> > This article contains a useful chart of US life expectancy going > back to 1930.> > The 78 number is both genders combined. Females live about six > years longer than males, approximately. 80·7 compared with 75·4 > for males.> > Rodney.

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

For example, the table JW linked shows that in the US between 1980 and

2005 the overall life expectancy of white males increased by five years.

But for white males over 65 years of age the improvement was only three

years (from 14·2 to 17·2); and only two years (from 8·8 to

10·7) for those over 75.

We need a cure for aging.

Rodney.

> > >

> > > Sounds like male life expectancy only. Isn¹t female higher,

> around 80 or

> > > 82?

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > From: citpeks citpeks@

> > > Reply-

> > > Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:10:03 -0000

> > >

> > > Subject: [ ] US life expectancy tops 78 as top

diseases

> decline

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> http://news./s/ap/20080611/ap_on_he_me/med_life_expectancy_1

> > >

> > > ATLANTA - For the first time, U.S. life expectancy has surpassed

78

> > > years, the government reported Wednesday. The increase is due

mainly

> > > to falling mortality rates in almost all the leading causes of

> death,

> > > federal health officials said. The average life expectancy for

> babies

> > > born in 2006 was about four months greater than for children born

in

> 2005.

> > >

> > > However, the United States continues to lag behind about 30 other

> > > countries in estimated life span, according to World Health

> > > Organization data.

> > >

> > > Japan is No. 1 on the list, with a life expectancy of 83 for

> children

> > > born in 2006. Switzerland and Australia were also near the top of

> the

> > > list.

> > >

> > > ...

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

In fact looking at the data in that same table, I see that in 2005 life expectancy for those aged 65 or 75 was no higher than in 2004.

Rodney.

ogroups.com, "Rodney" <perspect1111@...> wrote:>> > Hi folks:> > For example, the table JW linked shows that in the US between 1980 and> 2005 the overall life expectancy of white males increased by five years.> > But for white males over 65 years of age the improvement was only three> years (from 14·2 to 17·2); and only two years (from 8·8 to> 10·7) for those over 75.> > We need a cure for aging.> > Rodney.> > > > > >> > > > Sounds like male life expectancy only. Isn¹t female higher,> > around 80 or> > > > 82?> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > > From: citpeks citpeks@> > > > Reply- > > > > Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:10:03 -0000> > > > > > > > Subject: [ ] US life expectancy tops 78 as top> diseases> > decline> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > http://news./s/ap/20080611/ap_on_he_me/med_life_expectancy_1> > > >> > > > ATLANTA - For the first time, U.S. life expectancy has surpassed> 78> > > > years, the government reported Wednesday. The increase is due> mainly> > > > to falling mortality rates in almost all the leading causes of> > death,> > > > federal health officials said. The average life expectancy for> > babies> > > > born in 2006 was about four months greater than for children born> in> > 2005.> > > >> > > > However, the United States continues to lag behind about 30 other> > > > countries in estimated life span, according to World Health> > > > Organization data.> > > >> > > > Japan is No. 1 on the list, with a life expectancy of 83 for> > children> > > > born in 2006. Switzerland and Australia were also near the top of> > the> > > > list.> > > >> > > > ...> > > >> > >> >>

[Guest guest]

Here's the data back to 1900.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus07.pdf#027

Lotsa of other data in the pdf.

Regards

[ ] Re: US life expectancy tops 78 as top diseases

decline

Hi folks:

This article contains a useful chart of US life expectancy going back to

1930.

The 78 number is both genders combined. Females live about six years longer

than males, approximately. 80·7 compared with 75·4 for males.

Rodney.

[Guest guest]

You recall we discussed the math before.

Someone (LI companies) needed a way to estimate lifespan for a given age

person. So probably the best way to determine true lifespan is look at LI

tables/LI cost.

The real data, IMO is what is MY risk and how to reduce it. Don't compare it

with others of any age (or country). Older people made " unwise " decisions

earlier because they had to. Youngers think they'll live forever (like us).

Numbers are just numbers.

In Austad's " Why We Age " , " Even though life expectancy during Theodore

Roosevelt's time at the turn of the twentieth century was only 48 years

compared to today's 75-plus years, this change is largely due to fewer

premature deaths from infectious disease rather than to a change in aging

rate. "

Is there any thing to which we should give more thought? Like cutting deaths

due to disease?

Regards

[ ] Re: US life expectancy tops 78 as top diseases

decline

Hi folks:

For example, the table JW linked shows that in the US between 1980 and

2005 the overall life expectancy of white males increased by five years.

But for white males over 65 years of age the improvement was only three

years (from 14·2 to 17·2); and only two years (from 8·8 to

10·7) for those over 75.

We need a cure for aging.

Rodney.