Latest news with #IrenePapanicolas
Forbes
01-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Avoidable Deaths Decrease In High-Income Nations And Increase In U.S.
Avoidable deaths are decreasing in high-income nations while they're increasing in the United States. It's a worrisome trend, which is partly responsible for the growing gap in life expectancy between the U.S. and its peers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. life expectancy took a bigger hit than its peers, as the graph below shows. The figure also depicts how U.S. life expectancy was stagnant between approximately 2010 and 2020, unlike other wealthy, industrialized nations. And prior to 2012, beginning around 1985, the upward slope in life expectancy growth was flatter in the U.S. There are many factors that have contributed to this trend, one of which is greater numbers of avoidable deaths in the U.S. compared to its peers. Avoidable mortality refers to deaths that ought not to occur in the presence of timely and effective healthcare, including prevention. Clinicians often examine causes of death to determine whether they could have been avoided by some kind of public health measure. Avoidable deaths in most high-income countries around the world are going down. But in the U.S., avoidable deaths have been on the rise for more than a decade, according to a new study by researchers at the Brown University School of Public Health and Harvard University. They analyzed mortality trends across all 50 U.S. states as well as 40 comparably wealthy nations. The researchers compared mortality data and found that between 2009 to 2021, avoidable mortality in the U.S. worsened, while it improved elsewhere, with the exception of the 2020-2021 time period during COVID-19. Lead study author Irene Papanicolas, a professor of health services, policy and practice at Brown University's School of Public Health, told Medical Express that the findings published last month in JAMA Internal Medicine suggest unresolved issues in the American healthcare system, in which gaps in public policy may be contributing to worsening health outcomes. Take, for instance, rising road traffic fatalities since the early 2010s in the U.S. (while these have been diminishing elsewhere), continued very high levels of gun deaths and illicit drug overdoses, higher rates of suicide as well as maternal and infant mortality and illnesses preventable by early detection and treatment, such as cervical cancer and ischemic heart disease. The researchers found that deaths from a variety of different causes are rising in every U.S. state, with considerable variation across states. The cited study found that between 2009 and 2021 avoidable deaths in the U.S. increased from around 20 to 44 per 100,000. On the other hand, in most high-income countries around the world, these kinds of avoidable deaths have been decreasing during the same time frame. Other countries saw about 14 fewer avoidable deaths per 100,000. In European Union countries, the reduction was even greater, with an average of almost 24 fewer deaths per 100,000. Clearly, it's not simply a matter of number of dollars spent on healthcare, given that the U.S. spends more per capita on healthcare than every other high-income country. Perhaps where or how that money is spent that is the key issue. And as Papanicolas said, referring to policy debates that have occurred across multiple presidential administrations, 'there's been a lot of discussion about preventable deaths in the U.S. such as drug-related deaths or suicides, which do account for a big proportion of this trend. However, we found that deaths from nearly all major categories are increasing." Under the new Trump administration, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has promoted the idea of making Americans healthy again, advocating for things like eating healthier and limiting exposure to potentially harmful food additives. However, his MAHA vision doesn't address gun violence, motor vehicle safety, maternal and infant mortality, mental health, certain harm reduction factors related to illegal drug consumption and a host of other items contributing to avoidable deaths. And HHS budget cuts may worsen the situation going forward. A conspicuous example of this is a proposed plan by the department to eliminate a relatively small, but effective $56 million annual grant program that distributes the opioid overdose antidote naloxone to first responders across the country. And what could further exacerbate the problem is the fact that the Trump administration doesn't appear to be focused on measuring certain avoidable deaths. As an illustration, the Department of HHS laid off the entire 17-person team in charge of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have gotten rid of divisions that oversee databases on things like accidental deaths and injuries, including fatal shootings, poisonings and motor vehicle crashes. Moreover, there is now considerably less federal funding for tracking HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, all of which are preventable. What's not measured can't be properly addressed with tangible policies.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Not Even America's Richest Live as Long as Some of Europe's Poorest
New research shows a significant gap in mortality rates between the US and Europe, with even the wealthiest Americans more likely to meet an early death than the wealthiest Europeans – and in some cases, more likely than the poorest in some European countries too. While having more money was unsurprisingly associated with lower mortality risk (and therefore longer life) in both the US and Europe, according to the stats, the disparity in survival rates between the richest and poorest populations was much stronger in the US. These results could be explained by Europeans having greater access to healthcare and social welfare, and having stronger social structures than those in the United States, according to the international team of researchers behind the study. "The findings are a stark reminder that even the wealthiest Americans are not shielded from the systemic issues in the US contributing to lower life expectancy, such as economic inequality or risk factors like stress, diet or environmental hazards," says health economist Irene Papanicolas, from Brown University in Rhode Island. The researchers crunched the numbers on health and retirement records for 73,838 adults, aged between 50 and 85, across the years 2010 to 2022. For both the US and Europe, the participants were split into four groups (quartiles), from the most to the least wealthy. The team looked at the chances of each group dying over the study period, which gives us a strong indication of the health and life expectancy of the participants. For each quartile, matching the US against Europe, Americans fared worse. Mortality rates varied across European regions, but in Germany, France, and the Netherlands, even the poorest groups were shown to be doing better than the richest Americans in terms of how many people died during the study period. Overall, across both regions, the wealthiest individuals were 40 percent less likely to die than the poorest. For all four wealth quartiles combined, rates of death were 40 percent lower in northern and western Europe than in the US. "We found that where you stand in your country's wealth distribution matters for your longevity, and where you stand in your country compared to where others stand in theirs matters, too," says health economist Sara Machado, from Brown University. "Fixing health outcomes is not just a challenge for the most vulnerable – even those in the top quartile of wealth are affected." The benefits that wealth has on health are well documented – a higher income gives you access to everything from better food to better living conditions to better healthcare – but these findings show the disparities between regions as well as between income levels. "If we want to improve health in the US, we need to better understand the underlying factors that contribute to these differences – particularly amongst similar socioeconomic groups – and why they translate to different health outcomes across nations," says Papanicolas. The research has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Here's Why Every Sip of Alcohol Increases Your Risk of Cancer 'Positive Solitude': Expert Reveals Why Alone Time Is Good For You Your Body Fat May Be Shaped by The Month You Were Conceived
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Wealthy Americans have similar death rate to poor Europeans: Study
(NewsNation) — Living in America may be a dream for millions outside the United States, but a new study raises thought about the health — and death — of those who live here. Wealthy Americans had a markedly lower life expectancy than wealthy Europeans and a similar age of death to poor Europeans, a study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine found. The study analyzed data from nearly 74,000 people, including Western, Northern and Eastern Europeans, as well as Americans, separating them by wealth groups and following their data for 12 years until 2022. All were between 50 and 85 years old. Wealthy Europeans had 35% lower death rates than the wealthiest Americans and had similar death rates to poorer Northern and Western Europeans. JP Morgan predicts 2025 recession as Trump tariffs rattle market The U.S. also had the largest disparity in survival rate between those in the poorest and wealthiest quartiles. 'The findings are a stark reminder that even the wealthiest Americans are not shielded from the systemic issues in the U.S. contributing to lower life expectancy, such as economic inequality or risk factors like stress, diet or environmental hazards,' said Irene Papanicolas, lead study author and professor of health services, policy and practice at Brown University, in a release. Papanicolas also noted that understanding the factors of these various disparities is key to improving health in the U.S. 'If we want to improve health in the U.S., we need to better understand the underlying factors that contribute to these differences—particularly amongst similar socioeconomic groups—and why they translate to different health outcomes across nations,' she said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Euronews
03-04-2025
- Health
- Euronews
Why do wealthy Americans only live as long as poor people in western Europe?
ADVERTISEMENT Poor Europeans can expect to live at least as long as rich Americans, and in some cases even longer, a new study has found. How healthy people are and how long they live is often tied to how much money they have, with wealth boosting people's access to education, good jobs, nutritious food, and medical care. But even the poorest people in countries like the Netherlands and France tend to live longer than wealthy Americans, according to new research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The analysis included nearly 74,000 people in the US and 16 European countries who were between 50 and 85 years old in 2010, and tracked their survival through 2022. Europeans were split into three groups: northern and western Europe (which included Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland); southern Europe (Italy, Portugal, and Spain); and eastern Europe, which spanned the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia. Related The gap between years lived in good health and how long we live is getting wider Across all groups, the US death rate was 6.5 per 1,000 during the study period. That compares with rates of 2.9 in northern and western Europe, 4.9 in southern Europe, and 5.8 in eastern Europe. The relationship between health and wealth While there's a link between wealth and survival everywhere, the health gap between the richest and poorest was wider in the US than in any European country, the study found. The poorest Americans had the lowest survival rates across the board, and tended to die younger than their counterparts in Europe. But even the wealthiest Americans were worse off than many Europeans. Wealthy Americans had lower survival rates than rich people in southern Europe – as well as everyone in northern and western Europe, regardless of how wealthy they were, the study found. The survival rate for wealthy Americans was on par with the poorest people in northern and western Europe, and with eastern Europeans overall. Related Smoking a single cigarette can decrease your life expectancy by 20 minutes 'The findings are a stark reminder that even the wealthiest Americans are not shielded from the systemic issues in the US contributing to lower life expectancy,' said Irene Papanicolas, a health economist at Brown University in the US which led the study. Americans and western Europeans tend to have more cash than their counterparts elsewhere, the researchers noted, but the relationship between wealth and health is about more than just the size of someone's bank account. Instead, it matters how wealthy someone is compared to their fellow citizens. The wealth gap in the US is more extreme than in almost any other developed country, while it also has 'weaker social structures' and limited healthcare access, according to the study. This could help explain why the mortality gap is greater between wealthy and poor Americans, and why the poorest people in the US have lower survival rates than the poorest people in Europe, the researchers said. ADVERTISEMENT Related Having a poor socioeconomic background could speed up biological ageing, new study finds 'Fixing health outcomes is not just a challenge for the most vulnerable – even those in the top quartile of wealth are affected,' said Sara Machado, one of the study's authors and a researcher at Brown University. Role of social infrastructure The study did not compare the European countries, but the better outcomes for poorer people in northern and western Europe likely reflects the strength of welfare programmes there, according to Dr Martin McKee, a professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and former president of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA). 'This is a strong argument that a welfare state benefits everybody [including] those who would consider themselves at least middle class,' McKee, who was not involved with the study, told Euronews Health. Across all countries, the researchers accounted for factors like gender, marital status, education level, whether someone lived in a rural or urban area, smoking status, and whether they had an existing health issue such as cancer or diabetes. ADVERTISEMENT Related Why European life expectancy gains have slowed and how to boost longevity again That helped them home in on the direct link between wealth and survival over time. But other factors that they did not measure, such as race and ethnicity, could also play a role. They also only divided people into four groups, which could mask even more extreme results for the wealthiest and poorest people, McKee said. 'The real issue in both Europe and the US is the increasing number of people in the top 1 to 2 per cent, not only the top 25 per cent [of wealth],' McKee said, meaning the study 'probably underestimates the scale of the problem'. Even so, the study authors said the US could look across the Atlantic if it wants to boost life expectancy and well-being for Americans across the spectrum. ADVERTISEMENT 'If you look at other countries, there are better outcomes, and that means we can learn from them and improve,' Machado said.
Euronews
03-04-2025
- Health
- Euronews
Why do poor people in western Europe live longer than wealthy Americans?
ADVERTISEMENT Poor Europeans can expect to live at least as long as rich Americans, and in some cases even longer, a new study has found. How healthy people are and how long they live is often tied to how much money they have, with wealth boosting people's access to education, good jobs, nutritious food, and medical care. But even the poorest people in countries like the Netherlands and France tend to live longer than wealthy Americans, according to new research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The analysis included nearly 74,000 people in the US and 16 European countries who were between 50 and 85 years old in 2010, and tracked their survival through 2022. Europeans were split into three groups: northern and western Europe (which included Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland); southern Europe (Italy, Portugal, and Spain); and eastern Europe, which spanned the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovenia. Related The gap between years lived in good health and how long we live is getting wider Across all groups, the US death rate was 6.5 per 1,000 during the study period. That compares with rates of 2.9 in northern and western Europe, 4.9 in southern Europe, and 5.8 in eastern Europe. The relationship between health and wealth While there's a link between wealth and survival everywhere, the health gap between the richest and poorest was wider in the US than in any European country, the study found. The poorest Americans had the lowest survival rates across the board, and tended to die younger than their counterparts in Europe. But even the wealthiest Americans were worse off than many Europeans. Wealthy Americans had lower survival rates than rich people in southern Europe – as well as everyone in northern and western Europe, regardless of how wealthy they were, the study found. The survival rate for wealthy Americans was on par with the poorest people in northern and western Europe, and with eastern Europeans overall. Related Smoking a single cigarette can decrease your life expectancy by 20 minutes 'The findings are a stark reminder that even the wealthiest Americans are not shielded from the systemic issues in the US contributing to lower life expectancy,' said Irene Papanicolas, a health economist at Brown University in the US which led the study. Americans and western Europeans tend to have more cash than their counterparts elsewhere, the researchers noted, but the relationship between wealth and health is about more than just the size of someone's bank account. Instead, it matters how wealthy someone is compared to their fellow citizens. The wealth gap in the US is more extreme than in almost any other developed country, while it also has 'weaker social structures' and limited healthcare access, according to the study. This could help explain why the mortality gap is greater between wealthy and poor Americans, and why the poorest people in the US have lower survival rates than the poorest people in Europe, the researchers said. ADVERTISEMENT Related Having a poor socioeconomic background could speed up biological ageing, new study finds 'Fixing health outcomes is not just a challenge for the most vulnerable – even those in the top quartile of wealth are affected,' said Sara Machado, one of the study's authors and a researcher at Brown University. Role of social infrastructure The study did not compare the European countries, but the better outcomes for poorer people in northern and western Europe likely reflects the strength of welfare programmes there, according to Dr Martin McKee, a professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and former president of the European Public Health Association (EUPHA). 'This is a strong argument that a welfare state benefits everybody [including] those who would consider themselves at least middle class,' McKee, who was not involved with the study, told Euronews Health. Across all countries, the researchers accounted for factors like gender, marital status, education level, whether someone lived in a rural or urban area, smoking status, and whether they had an existing health issue such as cancer or diabetes. ADVERTISEMENT Related Why European life expectancy gains have slowed and how to boost longevity again That helped them home in on the direct link between wealth and survival over time. But other factors that they did not measure, such as race and ethnicity, could also play a role. They also only divided people into four groups, which could mask even more extreme results for the wealthiest and poorest people, McKee said. 'The real issue in both Europe and the US is the increasing number of people in the top 1 to 2 per cent, not only the top 25 per cent [of wealth],' McKee said, meaning the study 'probably underestimates the scale of the problem'. Even so, the study authors said the US could look across the Atlantic if it wants to boost life expectancy and well-being for Americans across the spectrum. ADVERTISEMENT 'If you look at other countries, there are better outcomes, and that means we can learn from them and improve,' Machado said.
