We Are Living Longer but Not Healthier: Global Study

New research indicates that people are living longer but spending more years in poor health.

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The promise of modern medicine has always been simple: more years of life. But a new international study suggests a cruel irony—we’re living longer, only to spend those extra years struggling with debilitating health conditions.

The comprehensive analysis of global health data from more than 180 countries found that on average, one spends 9.6 years—nearly an entire decade—of one’s extended life managing disease and disability.

A Global Health Divide Emerges

According to the research published in JAMA Network Open on Dec. 11, women are especially affected by this health disparity, experiencing an average of 2.4 years more of compromised health than men.

“A sex disparity in the healthspan-lifespan gap was identified here at global scale,” the study authors wrote, “partly underpinned by the higher life expectancy in women and a distinctly higher noncommunicable disease burden.”

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The United States has the most pronounced health span–lifespan gap, recording 12.4 years of compromised health among Americans. This significant gap is primarily driven by an increasing prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (not directly transmitted from one person to another), including diabetes and heart disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14.3 percent of adults in the United States have diabetes, with 10.1 percent having diagnosed diabetes and 4.2 percent having undiagnosed. Diabetes rates also increase with age, with 3.6 percent of adults under 40 having diabetes, 12.1 percent of adults ages 40 to 59 having it, and 20.5 percent of people 60 and older having it. Additionally, hundreds of thousands die from heart disease every year.

Pressing Need to Address Chronic Illness

Over the past two decades, global life expectancy increased by more than six years, while health-adjusted life expectancy—a measure accounting for quality of life, similar to health span—rose by only 5.4 years, according to the study findings.

This imbalance highlights a critical need for improved health management and addressing chronic illnesses that diminish life quality, the researchers noted.

Furthermore, potential economic effects include increased health care costs because of extended periods of chronic disease, reduced workforce participation, and strain on Social Security and Medicare systems.

In the United States, mental health issues and musculoskeletal diseases, which include conditions such as arthritis and osteoporosis that affect the muscles, bones, and other tissues, significantly contribute to this gap.

The researchers underscored the importance of focusing not just on extending life but also on enhancing its quality. They emphasized the need for policies and initiatives that prioritize health and well-being as the global population ages, with the ultimate goal of narrowing the gap between health span and lifespan.