"The findings were stark. Deaths before age 50 accounted for about
two-thirds of the difference in life expectancy between males in the
United States and their counterparts in 16 other developed countries,
and about one-third of the difference for females. The countries in the
analysis included Canada, Japan, Australia, France, Germany and Spain.
The 378-page study by a panel of experts convened by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council
is the first to systematically compare death rates and health measures
for people of all ages, including American youths. It went further than
other studies in documenting the full range of causes of death, from
diseases to accidents to violence. It was based on a broad review of
mortality and health studies and statistics.
The panel called the pattern of higher rates of disease and shorter
lives' the U.S. health disadvantage' and said it was responsible for
dragging the country to the bottom in terms of life expectancy over the
past 30 years. American men ranked last in life expectancy among the 17
countries in the study, and American women ranked second to last."
Gee, I wonder what's different about other countries and us when it comes to health care? Universal coverage, perhaps?
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