New Lancet Public Health Analysis Reveals Widening Gap Between Lifespan and Healthspan in the U.S.

A new Global Burden of Disease (GBD) analysis published in Lancet Public Health indicates that the gap between lifespan and healthy life expectancy is widening globally, with the U.S. having the largest gap, where Americans spend an average of 14 years in poor health. The study highlights that unhealthy years are accumulating across the adult lifespan, driven primarily by non-fatal conditions like musculoskeletal and mental disorders, obesity, low back pain, depression, anxiety, hearing loss, and falls.