Life expectancy in the United States has decreased. here's why

Average life expectancy in the United States has been falling for three consecutive years.

A baby born in 2017 is expected to live up to 78.6 years, down from 78.7 the year before, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics Control Centers and prevention of the disease.

The last three years represent the longest consecutive decline in American life at birth since the period between 1915 and 1918, which included the First World War and the Spanish flu pandemic, events that killed several million people in the world.

Before the recent decline, life expectancy was steadily increasing in the United States – what can be expected from an advanced country, especially one that spends more money on health care than any other country.

The United States is not alone. According to one study, the lifespan in the UK would be reduced by about five months. While life expectancy is still on the rise in France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands, these countries have also experienced a marked slowdown.

Although there is no cause for decline in the United States, a CDC report highlights three factors that contributed to this decline.

In 2017, more than 70,000 deaths were caused by drug overdoses. Opioids have been implicated in more than 47,000 of them.

The age-adjusted drug overdose death rate in the United States has increased 72% in a decade.

When the CDC analyzed data from emergency room visits, it found that opioid overdoses increased by 30% in the United States between July 2016 and September 2017.

Opioids continue to be prescribed three times more than in 1999, but many hope to change that. The federal government has spent more than $ 2.4 billion in state grants since 2017 to fight the epidemic.

Data from the CDC show that the number of opioid prescriptions, even though it is still high, is falling.

Over a 10-year period, the mortality rate for chronic liver disease and cirrhosis in men aged 25 to 34 increased by almost 8% per year, while that of women in the same age group increased increased by more than 11% per year.

The causes of liver disease can range from genetics to alcohol consumption and obesity.

The national suicide rate has increased by 33% since 1999. In 2017 alone, it has increased by 3.7%.

At the same time, the global suicide rate has fallen by almost 30% since 2000, with rates in Russia, Japan, South Korea and India dropping dramatically over the last decade.