Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 306 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 188 countries, 1990–2013: quantifying the epidemiological transition

Life expectancy decreases with aging, with cardiovascular, mental health, and neurodegenerative disorders strongly contributing to the total disability-adjusted life years. Interestingly, the morbidity/mortality paradox points to females having a worse healthy life expectancy. Since bidirectional interactions between cardiovascular and Alzheimer’s diseases (AD) have been reported, the study of this emerging field is promising. In the present work, we further explored the cardiovascular–brain interactions in mice survivors of two cohorts of non-transgenic and 3xTg-AD mice, including both sexes, to investigate the frailty/survival through their life span. Survival, monitored from birth, showed exceptionally worse mortality rates in females than males, independently of the genotype. This mortality selection provided a “survivors” cohort that could unveil brain–cardiovascular interaction mechanisms relevant for normal and neurodegenerative aging processes restricted to long-lived animals. The results show sex-dependent distinct physical (worse in 3xTg-AD males), neuropsychiatric-like and cognitive phenotypes (worse in 3xTg-AD females), and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activation (higher in females), with higher cerebral blood flow and improved cardiovascular phenotype in 3xTg-AD female mice survivors. The present study provides an experimental scenario to study the suggested potential compensatory hemodynamic mechanisms in end-of-life dementia, which is sex-dependent and can be a target for pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions.

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Health Status of Old Age Population in Bulgaria

European Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies ◽

10.26417/ejis.v2i4.p126-131 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2 (4) ◽

pp. 126

Author(s):

Mariana Mourgova

Keyword(s):

Health Status ◽

Life Expectancy ◽

European Countries ◽

Healthy Life Expectancy ◽

Mortality Data ◽

Healthy Life ◽

Healthy Life Years ◽

Demographic Indicators ◽

Life Years ◽

Different Levels

This article examines the health status of the population in Bulgaria at age 65 by gender during the period 2006-2014. The health status is examined by some of the most frequently used demographic indicators, namely life expectancy, based on mortality data and healthy life years and healthy life expectancy, based on mortality, life expectancy and self-perceived health. The main results show that despite of the observed increase in life expectancy at age 65 in Bulgaria during the period it is the lowest compared to other European countries. The share for both men and women reported their health status as without limitations in respect to daily activities decline, while those reported their health status as good increase. These contradictory facts reflect on the measures of health status. Thus, the trend in healthy life years for both sexes decline over the period, whereas the trend in healthy life expectancy increases. Compared with the other European countries, the expected number of years without limitations in Bulgaria is among the largest, while the healthy life expectancy is the lowest. These differences could be explained by the different levels in mortality and the nature of the measures of health status themselves.

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Health Status of Old Age Population in Bulgaria

European Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies ◽

10.26417/ejis.v6i1.p126-131 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 126

Author(s):

Mariana Mourgova

Keyword(s):

Health Status ◽

Life Expectancy ◽

European Countries ◽

Healthy Life Expectancy ◽

Mortality Data ◽

Healthy Life ◽

Healthy Life Years ◽

Demographic Indicators ◽

Life Years ◽

Different Levels

This article examines the health status of the population in Bulgaria at age 65 by gender during the period 2006-2014. The health status is examined by some of the most frequently used demographic indicators, namely life expectancy, based on mortality data and healthy life years and healthy life expectancy, based on mortality, life expectancy and self-perceived health. The main results show that despite of the observed increase in life expectancy at age 65 in Bulgaria during the period it is the lowest compared to other European countries. The share for both men and women reported their health status as without limitations in respect to daily activities decline, while those reported their health status as good increase. These contradictory facts reflect on the measures of health status. Thus, the trend in healthy life years for both sexes decline over the period, whereas the trend in healthy life expectancy increases. Compared with the other European countries, the expected number of years without limitations in Bulgaria is among the largest, while the healthy life expectancy is the lowest. These differences could be explained by the different levels in mortality and the nature of the measures of health status themselves.

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Life Years at Stake

Saving People from the Harm of Death ◽

10.1093/oso/9780190921415.003.0004 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 48-60

Author(s):

Andreas Mogensen

Keyword(s):

Life Expectancy ◽

Global Health ◽

Burden Of Disease ◽

Global Burden ◽

Years Of Life Lost ◽

Disability Adjusted Life Years ◽

Disability Adjusted Life ◽

Life Years ◽

Ethical Basis

In quantifying the global burden of disease in terms of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), we must determine both Years of Life Lost (YLLs) and Years Lost to Disability (YLDs). In setting priorities for global health, many have felt that YLLs should not always simply equal life expectancy at death. To this end, Dean Jamison and colleagues recommend the use of a DALY metric that incorporates Acquisition of Life Potential (ALP). When an individual dies, the YLLs that we would otherwise count are multiplied by the value of the ALP function, which rises gradually from 0 to 1 during the first stages of an individual’s life. Jamison et al. do not provide a detailed philosophical justification for the use of gradual ALP. In this chapter I explain why I believe the Time-Relative Interest Account represents the most plausible ethical basis for the ALP approach and describe how we might model ALP in light of this account.

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Estimating Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) in Community Cases of Norovirus in England

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v11020184 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 184

Author(s):

John P Harris ◽

Miren Iturriza-Gomara ◽

Sarah J O’Brien

Keyword(s):

Gastrointestinal Diseases ◽

Years Of Life Lost ◽

Disability Adjusted Life Years ◽

Healthy Life ◽

England And Wales ◽

Infected People ◽

Disability Adjusted Life ◽

Life Years ◽

Years Lived With Disability

Disability adjusted life years (DALYs) have been used since the 1990s. It is a composite measure of years of life lost with years lived with disability. Essentially, one DALY is the equivalent of a year of healthy life lost if a person had not experienced disease. Norovirus is the most common cause of gastrointestinal diseases worldwide. Norovirus activity varies from one season to the next for reasons not fully explained. Infection with norovirus is generally not severe, and is normally characterized as mild and self-limiting with no long-term sequelae. In this study, we model a range of estimates of DALYs for community cases of norovirus in England and Wales. We estimated a range of DALYs for norovirus to account for mixing of the severity of disease and the range of length of illness experienced by infected people. Our estimates were between 1159 and 4283 DALYs per year, or 0.3–1.2 years of healthy life lost per thousand cases of norovirus. These estimates provide evidence that norovirus leads to a considerable level of ill health in England and Wales. This information will be helpful should candidate norovirus vaccines become available in the future.

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