A new study published by the American Medical Association (AMA) reveals that Americans spend significantly more time living with diseases and disabilities than people in other countries. The findings, released on Wednesday, highlight concerning trends in healthspan—the number of years people live in good health—versus lifespan, the total number of years lived. In the U.S., the healthspan-lifespan gap has widened in recent decades, with Americans living an average of 12.4 years with diseases.
The study underscores that mental and substance-use disorders, as well as musculoskeletal diseases, are primary contributors to the years Americans spend with health impairments. In particular, women in the U.S. suffer a 2.6-year higher healthspan-lifespan gap compared to men. Women spend an average of 13.7 years living with health conditions, which is 32% above the global average for women. Meanwhile, men in the U.S. live with diseases for approximately 11.1 years, a figure that still exceeds the global mean.
In comparison to global trends, the U.S. healthspan-lifespan gap has grown by 29% since the year 2000. In 2000, this gap was 10.9 years, but it has now risen to 12.4 years by 2024. This increase mirrors a broader global pattern, where the healthspan-lifespan gap has extended globally by 13% in the past two decades—from 8.5 years in 2000 to 9.6 years in 2024.
While the U.S. leads in the size of its healthspan-lifespan gap, other countries like Australia (12.1 years), New Zealand (11.8 years), and the UK and Northern Ireland (11.3 years) also report significant gaps. Norway follows closely at 11.2 years. In contrast, countries with the smallest gaps include Lesotho (6.5 years), the Central African Republic (6.7 years), and Somalia (6.8 years). These nations often face different health challenges, including limited healthcare access, which may contribute to their lower healthspan-lifespan gaps.
According to the authors of the study, Armin Garmany and Andre Terzic, these findings highlight a concerning global trend: while life expectancy is rising worldwide, people are spending an increasing number of those years burdened by disease. The study also points to a growing disparity between life expectancy and health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE). In the U.S., life expectancy has increased slightly in recent years—rising from 79.2 years to 80.7 years for women, and from 74.1 years to 76.3 years for men. However, the increase in years lived with disease is outpacing this progress.
The study’s results urge a reevaluation of public health strategies and healthcare priorities, with an emphasis on not just extending lifespan but improving quality of life in those years. As Armin Garmany and Andre Terzic noted, “The widening gap between healthspan and lifespan calls for urgent action in public health policy to address chronic disease management and prevention.”
The study’s findings resonate not just within the U.S., but across the globe. With a growing global population living longer, it is essential to ensure that the additional years of life are lived with good health, not chronic illness. Countries worldwide need to invest more in preventive healthcare, mental health resources, and musculoskeletal care to reduce the burden of diseases that shorten healthy living years.
The AMA’s latest research serves as a wake-up call for governments, healthcare providers, and communities to focus on promoting overall well-being and tackling the root causes of disease that diminish the quality of life.
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