Global life expectancy to increase but people to spend more time battling health issues: Study

In new research, experts have projected that global life expectancy will increase by nearly five years by 2025. However, factors likehigh blood pressure and obesity will force people to spend more years battling their poor health.

The findingswere publishedas part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study2021.The studywas publishedin the medical journalThe Lanceton Thursday (May 16).

Leadresearch scientist at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation(IHMEE) at the University of Washington and research head Liane Ong said, "Future trends may be quite different than past trends because of factors such as climate change and increasing obesity and addiction."

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Itwas predictedby the Global Burden of Diseases team said that life expectancy is likely to increase from 71.1 years to 76 yearsfor menand from 76.2 years to 80.5 years for women.

Thebiggestgains willbe madeby the countrieswhich currently have lower life expectancies.

"This is an indicator that while health inequalities between the highest and lowest income regions will remain, the gaps are shrinking, with the biggest increases anticipated insub-Saharan Africa," stated IMHEE directorDr Chris Murray.

According to the researchers, this trendismostly drivenby public health measures which have improved survival rates and prevented deaths from diseases like COVID-19, heart disease, and a range of communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases.

Obesity andhigh blood pressure negatively impact health of people

It was found by the researchers that the total number of years lost by people is almost 49.4 per cent since 2000because of metabolic risk factors like high blood sugar,high body mass index (BMI) and high blood pressure.

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Low birth weight, smokingand air pollution were also some of thelargestcontributors to the number of years lost in life due to poor health and early death.

"There is immense opportunity ahead for us to influence the future of global health by getting ahead of these rising metabolic and dietary risk factors, particularly those related to behavioural and lifestyle factors like high blood sugar,highbody mass index, andhighblood pressure," said Murray.

(With inputs from agencies)