Why wealth fails to protect Americans from shorter lifespans
Research shows that Americans, regardless of wealth, have lower survival rates than Europeans. These differences are especially pronounced between the wealthy and the poor in the USA, whereas in Europe they are considerably smaller.
Scientists from Brown University School of Public Health conducted studies that revealed Americans, regardless of wealth, have lower survival rates than Europeans. The study included 73,000 people aged 50-85 from the USA and Europe, aiming to understand the impact of wealth on lifespan.
Life expectancy in the United States has clearly declined in recent years. At every income level, Americans have higher mortality rates than Europeans, according to the authors of the study.
The research results indicate that over the last decade, Americans have been more vulnerable to 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 study's authors, emphasized that even the wealthiest Americans are not shielded from systemic issues that impact lower life expectancy. These issues include economic inequalities and risk factors such as stress, diet, and environmental hazards.
Researchers also pointed out the poorly functioning social insurance systems in the USA and large structural inequalities. Although these issues appear to impact the poorest U.S. residents the most, they ultimately increase vulnerability to death even among the wealthiest.
Conclusions from the research
The scientists observed that in the USA, there is a visible survival effect where poorer individuals die earlier, resulting in older age groups being dominated by wealthier individuals. This phenomenon creates the illusion of decreasing wealth inequality with age. The researchers indicated that in the USA, wealth inequality decreases after age 65 solely because the poorest Americans die much earlier.
Prof. Papanicolas emphasized that the research results should encourage American public health specialists to take action aimed at reducing the gap between the rich and the poor. The authors of the study suggest that the USA should learn from other countries to improve its healthcare system, focusing on factors affecting lifespan.
