Illness and Disabilities Not Affecting Life Expectancy Rates in People Around the World

A study around 188 countries in the world showed that the life expectancy rates have increased to such an extent that even sicker people are leading a longer life.

Its because of the significant progress against infectious diseases like malaria. AIDS and also in maternal Health and childcare. But still the life expectancy rates of healthy people has not increased that much.

Increase in Global Life Expectancy
Despite increased rate of liver cancer and chronic kidney deaths, the average life expectancy is 71.5 years in 2013, from 65.3 years in 1990.

According to a analysis, people around the world are living with illness and disabilities for a longer period. The analysis was published in the Lancet Journal.

"The world has made great progress in health, but now the challenge is to invest in finding more effective ways of preventing or treating the major causes of illness and disability," said Dr Theo Vos, Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington.

The findings showed that global life expectancy at birth for both sexes rose by 6.2 years from 65.3 in 1990 to 71.5 in 2013. Healthy life expectancy at birth rose by 5.4 years from 56.9 in 1990 to 62.3 in 2013.

Genes Play a Greater Role in People Living Longer
For people who live up to 100 years of age, the chance of a sibling reaching the same age grows to about nine times greater.

Healthy life expectancy takes into account both mortality and the impact of non-fatal conditions and chronic illnesses like heart and lung diseases, diabetes and serious injuries. Those that detract from quality of life and impose heavy cost and resources burden.

Researchers said, “For most of the 188 countries studied, changes in healthy life expectancy between 1990 and 2013 were significant and positive. But in many especially among Belize, Botswana and Syria the healthy life expectancy in 2013 was not much higher than in 1990.”

Early Anti-Retroviral Treatment Increases Life Expectancy of Tuberculosis Patients
World Health Organization recommends starting TB treatment first, followed by HIV treatment within two to eight weeks for patients with weak immune systems.

Health expectancy dropped in South Africa, Paraguay and Belarus while in Lesotho and Swaziland the people born in 2013 could expect to live some 10 fewer healthy years than people born there 20 years earlier.

The study also found stark differences between countries with the highest and lowest healthy life expectancies. Nicaraguans and Cambodians have seen dramatic increases of 14.7 and 13.9 years respectively. People in Botswana and Belize, however, saw declines of 2 and 1.3 years respectively.

World�s First Prognosis Score Predicts Life Expectancy In Hospitalized Patients
PANDORA risk score can be used in hospitals to ensure quality of life and to assess whether certain high-risk groups require special attention.

In 2013, Lesotho had the world's lowest healthy life expectancy, at 42 years and Japan had the highest, at 73.4 years.

Source-Medindia