Americans live sicker, longer lives than the global average; women hit hardest, study reveals

Americans are living longer but spending more years battling illnesses than people in any other country, with women bearing the brunt of the burden, according to a new study.
The new research, published in JAMA Network Open says the US

healthspan-lifespan gap

or the number of years spent living with disease or disability, is the highest in the world at 12.4 years, as conditions like mental illness, substance use disorders, and musculoskeletal issues affect people’s holistic well-being. Healthspan-lifespan gap is a key metric to measure the holistic health of individual members in a society.
The research used data from all 183 member states of the WHO (World Health Organization), and found that the healthspan-lifespan gap has witnessed a rise across the world within the last two decades and the average comes around 9.6 years. In case of the United States, however, the figure stands at 12.4 years, the largest within any country.
The rise of

noncommunicable diseases

(NCDs) in the US is considered one of the factors that is driving the trend.

What are NCDs

Also known as chronic or lifestyle diseases, they are not transmissible from person to person. They require long term or lifelong care, and include cancers, cardiovascular disease, stroke, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes,

mental health

and neurological conditions, chronic kidney disease, among many others.
In 2019, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) accounted for 71% of global deaths, with seven out of the ten leading causes being NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, as per Pan American Journal of Public Health.

In the Americas, NCDs were responsible for 80.7% of all deaths, or 5.8 million annually. The region, which represents 29.9% of global COVID-19 cases and 43.5% of deaths, has seen a worsened health crisis as Covid-19 has further increased the risk of severe infections for individuals with NCDs, leading to additional deaths.

American women worst affected

The authors of the study found that women reported a larger healthspan-lifespan gap compared to men which shows a disproportionately larger burden of noncommunicable diseases in women.
“A sex difference was observed with women presenting a mean healthspan-lifespan gap of 2.4 (0.5) years wider than men,” the authors wrote. “These results underscore that around the world, while people live longer, they live a greater number of years burdened by disease. To identify drivers of the healthspan-lifespan gap, associated demographic, health, and economic characteristics need to be investigated by geography.”
Chronic diseases

can develop due to genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioural factors. However, certain lifestyle changes can help prevent it to a great extent. It is estimated that 80% of all premature heart attacks and strokes and 30-50% of cancer cases could be prevented.

Here are lifestyle changes one must follow to prevent NCDs

Healthy diet: Eat a healthy and balanced diet to prevent obesity. Add whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and a variety of colourful fruits and vegetables to the diet. Limit salt and sugar intake and restrict saturated fats.
Exercise regularly: Physical exercise can help maintain ideal weight, lower blood pressure, and improve mental health, quality of life and well-being. Brisk walking, dancing, gardening, housework and domestic chores can help one stay active.
Limit alcohol and tobacco use: Drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco is associated with many major NCDs such as liver damage, cardiovascular diseases and some cancers.