from University of Pennsylvania
Life expectancy in the United States is
lower than most of the world’s most
developed countries. The reason may
surprise you. Jessica Ho, a University of
Pennsylvania doctoral student found that
two-thirds of the gap in life expectancy at
birth between American males and their
counterparts in other developed countries
was excess deaths before the age of fifty.
American females fared only slightly
better, with two-fifths of the gap because
of deaths prior to the age of fifty. Ho says
most of the excess mortality of those
younger than fifty was caused by noncommunicable
diseases, plus homicide and
unintentional injuries, including drug
overdoses. She says the majority of drug
overdose deaths stemmed from abuse of
prescription drugs. She says the study
underscores the importance of preventing
the major causes of death under age fifty.