Increases in U.S. life expectancy forecasted to stall by 2050, poorer health expected to cause nation's global ranking t

"Known as healthy life expectancy or health-adjusted life expectancy
(HALE), its global ranking is forecasted to drop from 80th in 2022 to
108th by 2050.
..
Alarming forecasts in U.S. mortality rates and causes of death
The nation also faces other alarming trends. From 1990 to 2021, the U.S.
recorded an 878% increase in the mortality rate (from 2.0 deaths to 19.5
deaths per 100,000) from drug use disorders, including from opioid use
disorder, amphetamine use disorder, cocaine use disorder, and a group of
other drug use disorders. The death rate is forecasted to climb another
34% between 2022 and 2050 (from 19.9 deaths to 26.7 deaths per 100,000).
That's the highest drug use-related mortality rate in the world and more
than twice as high as the second-highest country, which is Canada.
"The stark contrast that's forecasted in the next 30 years comes after a
concerted effort by federal, state, and local government agencies and
health systems launched after the opioid crisis was declared a public
health emergency in 2017. The opioid epidemic is far from over, and
greater effectiveness and continued expansion of programs to prevent and
treat drug use are still needed," said lead author Professor Ali Mokdad
from IHME.
The main forecasted drivers for mortality and morbidity in the U.S.
IHME researchers produced several scenarios forecasted into the future
to explore how the U.S. could have less devastating consequences of some
health outcomes. If major risk factors like obesity, high blood sugar,
and high blood pressure were eliminated by 2050, 12.4 million deaths
could be averted in the U.S. That said, if these risk factors were
eliminated globally, the health gains wouldn't be enough for the U.S. to
improve its global ranking, and it would still fall behind some peer
countries. Some countries, like Canada, are so far ahead of the U.S.
that U.S. LE would only catch up to that of Canada if these risks were
only eliminated in the U.S."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241206002146.htm