America's wealth can't buy longevity: Europe outlives U.S.
Research shows that Americans, regardless of their wealth level, have lower survival rates than Europeans. These differences are especially noticeable between the rich and poor in the US, while they are significantly smaller in Europe.
Scientists from the Brown University School of Public Health conducted studies that revealed Americans, regardless of their wealth level, have lower survival rates than Europeans. The study included 73,000 people aged 50 to 85 from the US and Europe, aiming to understand the impact of wealth on life expectancy. The study's authors indicate that the life expectancy in the US has been significantly declining in recent years. At every level of wealth, Americans have higher mortality rates than Europeans.
The study results indicate that over the past decade, Americans have been more at risk of death than Europeans. The wealthiest Americans lived shorter lives than their European counterparts, and their survival rates were comparable to the poorest residents of Western European countries such as Germany, France, and the Netherlands.
Prof. Irene Papanicolas, one of the authors of the study, emphasized that even the wealthiest Americans are not protected from systemic problems that affect lower life expectancy. Among these issues are economic inequalities and risk factors such as stress, diet, or environmental hazards.
Researchers also pointed out the poorly functioning social insurance systems in the US and significant structural inequalities. The researchers pointed out that while these problems appear to affect the poorest Americans primarily, they ultimately increase the risk of death even among the wealthiest individuals.
Conclusions from the research
Scientists noted that in the US, there is a visible so-called survival effect, where poorer people die earlier, causing older age groups to be dominated by wealthier individuals. This phenomenon creates the illusion of decreasing wealth inequalities with age. The researchers indicated that in the US, wealth inequalities decrease after the age of 65 only because the poorest Americans die much earlier.
Prof. Papanicolas pointed out that the study results should prompt American public health specialists to take action to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. The study's authors suggest that the US should learn from other countries to improve its health system, focusing on factors affecting life expectancy.
