Preventable causes contribute to US life expectancy gap

In an interview with Fortune, Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, director of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative (BAHI) has discussed the troubling life expectancy gap between the US and other high-income nations. 

On average, life expectancy in the US is 78.6 years, compared to 81.3 years in England and Wales. The life expectancy gap between the two regions is 2.7 years overall, but it is even larger for men (3.4 years) than for women (1.9 years).

Researchers point out that preventable causes—such as cardiovascular disease, drug overdoses, firearm-related homicides and suicides, and car accidents—have contributed to the widening gap in the US, resulting in higher mortality among younger people. COVID-19 and cancer deaths are also significant factors, according to the report.

“The most surprising finding was that preventable causes explain the gap in life expectancy,” Sharfstein says. “It’s not so much what we’re doing wrong, but rather, we need to use the evidence we do have to scale effective public health interventions, from reducing opioid-use disorder to youth suicide prevention to reverse the life expectancy gap and improve population health.”

According to Sharfstein, there are five key preventable causes contributing to this gap, particularly regarding the protection of young Americans, that public health initiatives can address:

Reducing cardiovascular disease by focusing on both clinical and population-based solutions, such as improving access to hypertension treatment, increasing access to healthier food, reducing sodium through food policies, and creating more opportunities for physical activity.

Reducing overdose-related deaths by expanding access to opioid-use disorder treatments, such as methadone, in the US through community pharmacies and correctional facilities.

Reducing gun homicides and gun-related suicides by limiting access to firearms through policies like Firearm Purchaser Licensing and Extreme Risk Protection Orders, both of which have been shown to reduce violence and self-harm.

Reducing teen suicides by building a national mental health infrastructure that ensures ongoing investment in mental health care services, especially in rural and historically underserved areas.

Reducing motor vehicle crashes by implementing intelligent speed technology that alerts drivers when they exceed the speed limit, enforcing penalties for impaired driving, and including hazard perception tests as part of driver licensing.

By Naila Huseynova