Women's Life Expectancy Drops Across U.S.

(AP)  Women's life expectancy declined significantly in 180 U.S. counties, mostly in the deep South and Appalachia, between 1983 and 1999, according to a study being released Tuesday.

Researchers blamed the decrease in women's life expectancy on high blood pressure as well as chronic diseases related to smoking and obesity, such as lung cancer and diabetes.

The decline, averaging 1.3 years in the 180 counties. Men's life expectancy declined by 1.3 years in only 11 counties.

In another 783 counties, women's life expectancy declined by 0.5 years, but the researchers said those results were not statistically significant because those counties were relatively small.

The study, based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, was designed to analyze disparities in life expectancy between different counties with different social conditions and health programs.

Overall, life expectancy rose for both men and women between 1961 and 1999. For men, it increased from 66.9 years to 74.1 years; for women, it rose from 73.5 years to 79.6 years.

Between 1961 and 1983, no counties had a statistically significant increase in mortality, the study said, noting that the reduction for both sexes was caused by a reduction in cardiovascular mortality.

From 1983 on, however, "The worst-off counties no longer experienced a fall in death rates, and in a substantial number of counties, mortality actually increased, especially for women," the researchers wrote. Life expectancy of women in those counties was 75.5 years in 1999.

"The study emphasizes how important it is to monitor health inequalities between different groups," the researchers wrote, "in order to ensure that everyone - and not just the well-off - can experience gains in life expectancy."

The analysis was conducted by researchers at Harvard University, the University of California, San Francisco, and the University of Washington. It was posted Monday night in the online journal PLoS Medicine, a publication of the Public Library of Science, an organization of scientists and physicians.

[baileyccc]

This bias news report from an agency WebMd that is run by Big Pharma wants to blame diabetes, smoking and obesity but the true reason for the death increase is Medical Intervention. Women are an easy target for Big Pharma and the relentless marketing and near bribery tactics used on Doctors to prescribes medication. These synthetic drugs laced with side effects are the reason.

[gaye5]

I have read that women who are in very stressful relationships or have high positions are inclined to produce more testostrone, which is evidently produced to help them cope with their stress, could this be one reason for their earlier demise..

[lochlan-2009]

"Significant Declines Reported In Deep South, Appalachia Between 1983 And 1999"

They were just talking on NPR about how the coal mining is now blasting the mountains open to get to the coal, and letting all the dust and runoff go into the air and rivers. I''m sure this has nothing to do with the significant decline.

[rf35]

Renew old skills like sewing or carpentry. If things go back in time, you need to know how to survive in those conditions or you will be among the hoards in the streets fighting for scraps.

Posted by IrishWench at 01:39 PM : Apr 22, 2008

My point exactly! Learn to fend for yourself without the government and you''ll be ahead of the game when the government collapses. Rome at the time of its fall is shockingly similar to America today.

[advanceus]

I love these studies, there are probably more significant problems to spend money on than taking one area to perform a study and make an amazing discovery that seems to affect all. Just because women in the deep south are dying younger these days has no bearing on my life in Michigan. Can''t you find something that is provable to study affecting all people to spend our money on.

[husein_pasha]

The women in the south are beaten more

[rf35]

Plan for the life expectancy to drop for ALL Americans as America continues its march toward third-world country status. As the dollar continues to lose value, health insurance companies continue to deny care, and hunger becomes an issue for the average citizen who can no longer afford to drive their car to work, things will spiral downhill faster. My suggestion...while you still have a chance, get some land and seed and learn the basics of subsistence farming.

Or, since no one else has mentioned this yet, it could be a result of global warming. The south is already hotter and climate change will make it worse, right?

[neenga]

SHURCH4TRUTH, I agree with you. I am an educated (yes, liberal) woman who was born and raised in the south. Living here and listening to the knee-jerk reactions of those poor, uninformed country folk is VERY hard. They will not listen to anyone other than the Limbaugh types. "Think?" Think again .. they do NOT think, they only react. It''s sad. Not many want to think for themselves these days.

[canadawitch6]

Posted by drivelphobe at 11:01 AM : Apr 22, 2008

drivelphobe

Are you insulting your friends again?:)

[jon2012-2009]

I can''t help but remark that many of the posts misunderstand the finding of lowered life expectancy among women in the years 1983-1999 as though it was a national trend. In fact, it applies mostly to Southern states. Perhaps we will see the numbers expand to include the rest of the country. But for now it just a regional phenomenon.