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Younger Americans Dying Faster Than Parents
11 Jun
Summary
- Gen Xers and millennials show higher death rates than previous generations.
- Decline linked to chronic illnesses and external causes like overdoses.
- US life expectancy gains slowed significantly after 2010.
New analysis from Tufts University indicates that Americans born after 1970 are facing higher mortality rates than previous generations did at the same age. This trend, tracked over 45 years of data from 1979 to 2019, shows individuals born after 1970 experiencing elevated death rates from heart disease, cancer, and external causes.
These external causes include drug overdoses, suicide, homicides, and traffic accidents. Researchers suggest that newer generations are entering middle age with greater risk factors, contributing to this generational decline. The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Compounding this issue, a nationwide setback beginning around 2010 has impacted nearly all adults, slowing progress against cardiovascular disease. Between 2010 and 2019, U.S. life expectancy increased by only 0.26 years, a stark contrast to the average gain of 1.78 years per decade prior.
Factors like rising obesity rates, widening economic inequality, social instability, and chronic stress are speculated to be driving these adverse health outcomes. The full impact on national life expectancy figures is yet to be seen as post-1970 generations are still in middle age.
