After years of decline, Americans’ health appears to be on the rise.
The U.S. has historically lagged behind its peers in rates of chronic conditions, addictions, diseases, and longevity, despite spending the majority of the national income on health care spending.
But new data from the CDC and other leading health agencies show that a number of health markers are starting to improve, including cancer deaths, drug overdoses, obesity rates and life expectancy.
Experts attribute the decline of the former three to increased screenings, improved treatments, access to drug treatment and medications, and the use of weight-loss medications.
And it is because of the decline in these aspects that Americans’ lifespans may be increasing.
LONGER LIVES
It may be that improvements in obesity, cancer mortality, and drug deaths appear to have increased life expectancy somewhat.
In 2022, lifespan at birth was estimated at 77.5 years. This was an increase from 76.1 in 2021, but still lower than a decade ago, when it was 78.8, according to CDC data.
Death rates fell among all age groups, but infant mortality rose.
A driving force behind the increase could be a drop in Covid deaths. Before the pandemic in 2019, the lifespan was 78.8, but it dropped to 77.3 in 2020 and again to 76.1 in 2021.
A shift in attitude and behavior towards alcohol and drugs may also be the basis for this increase.
A 2023 Gallup poll found that a record high 39 percent of Americans said consuming one to two drinks a day is bad for their health, an increase of 11 percentage points from five years earlier.
Additionally, the poll found that 76 percent of Americans said cigarettes and 54 percent said vaping were very harmful to a person’s health.
Although life expectancy in the US is increasing, it still lags behind many of its peers. In Great Britain, life expectancy is 82 years; in France and Italy it is 83 years; in Spain it is 84; and the average in the European Union is 81.5 years at birth.
FEWER DRUG DEATHS
The map above shows the percentage change in drug overdoses by state from the year beginning April 2023 and ending April 2024
Preliminary data shows that drug overdoses nationally fell by 12 percent between April 2023 (112,470 deaths) and April 2024 (97,309 deaths).
This is the lowest number of deaths since February 2021, but still more than double from almost a decade ago.
Major progress in the drug epidemic was made in North Carolina, where deaths fell by 23 percent, and in Nebraska, where deaths fell by 30 percent.
But Alaska and Oregon saw big increases in overdose deaths, with increases of 42 percent and 22 percent, respectively.
Overdose rates fell for almost all medications tracked by the CDC. Year-on-year, from April 2023 to April 2024, 1,830 fewer people died from cocaine; 1,719 fewer died from heroin; and 12,123 fewer died from opioids.
While experts have not yet reached a consensus on what is causing the decline, some believe it is due to the increased availability of lifesaving Narcan, which can reverse some overdoses, and increased education and public awareness of the dangers of fentanyl.
Others, however, argue that deaths are declining simply because the fentanyl crisis has been so catastrophic that there are no more people to kill.
DEFEAT CANCER
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Another encouraging trend is the decline in cancer deaths.
The death rate from cancer has been on a downward trend since 2015, falling from 160 deaths per 100,000 cancer patients to 142 deaths per 100,000 patients in 2022.
This is the lowest number of cancer deaths in a decade, when the figure was 164 deaths in 2013, according to the National Cancer Institute. Between 2013 and 2022, death rates fell by an average of 1.7 percent each year.
And the average five-year survival rate for cancer has increased. According to the American Cancer SocietyBetween 2013 and 2019, the rate was 69 percent, up from 49 percent in 1977.
Survival rates are highest for thyroid cancer (99 percent), prostate cancer (97 percent) and testicular cancer (95 percent).
The lowest figures apply to the pancreas (13 percent), the liver and esophagus (22 percent) and the lungs (25 percent). However, for all these cancers, survival has increased since 1977, when the rates were three percent for the pancreas and liver, five percent for the esophagus and 12 percent for the lungs.
The ACS attributes the increase in five-year rates to improved cancer screenings, which lead to earlier detection when the disease is more treatable. In addition, developments in treatments and therapies, especially in the field of immunotherapy, have helped increase survival rates.
Overall, cancer incidence rates have also fallen, although breast and colon cancers have shown an increase, especially in diagnoses among young people.
SLIMMER WAISTLINES
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A recent CDC report shows that the number of American adults with obesity also appears to be declining, from nearly 42 percent in 2020 to 40.3 percent in 2021.
This is the first time there has been a year-over-year decline since the CDC began regularly tracking this measure in 2013, although the change is not statistically significant.
However, experts say this could be a sign that obesity rates will no longer rise.
The drop comes amid a boom in weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic, although experts have previously told DailyMail.com it is too early to know whether the drugs play a role.
Despite the slight decline, the numbers are still higher than a decade ago, when about 38 percent of adults were obese.