Global Burden of Disease Study: Good and bad news on life expectancy

A baby born today is expected to live six years longer than their parents but new research shows that’s where the good news could end.

A baby born today is expected to live six years longer than its parents but poor health will reduce the quality of life gained, new research has revealed.

The latest findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD), published in prestigious journal The Lancet, shows Australian life expectancy has increased steadily over the last three decades to 82.9 years.

“The good news is life expectancy in Australia is increasing and deaths from heart disease continue to decline. The bad news is that we’re living longer in poorer health and many of our risk factors for heart disease continue to climb,” Heart Foundation’s Bill Stavreski said.

People with poor health are at higher risk of serious illness during the coronavirus pandemic. Picture: NCA NewsWire/James Gourley

“These findings show that the top five risk factors for death and health loss in Australia are all leading risks for heart disease – our single biggest killer. These are risk factors that are largely preventable and treatable, like high blood pressure, smoking, poor diet and overweight and obesity. What’s more, several of these risk factors are associated with an increased risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19,” he said.

Ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of poor health in 2019, followed by low back pain, falls, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and depressive disorders.

The top five risk factors for death last year were high systolic blood pressure, 25,500 deaths, dietary risks 21,600 deaths, tobacco use 20,100 deaths, high BMI 18,700 deaths and high blood sugar, 17,700 deaths.

“The syndemic nature of the threat we face demands that we not only treat each affliction but also urgently address the underlying social inequalities that shape them — poverty, housing, education, and race, which are all powerful determinants of health,” Dr Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of The Lancet said

“COVID-19 is an acute-on-chronic health emergency. And the chronicity of the present crisis is being ignored at our future peril. Non-communicable diseases have played a critical role in driving the more than one million deaths caused by COVID-19 to date, and will continue to shape health in every country after the pandemic subsides.,” he said.

The researchers studied 150 countries from around the world.