scholarly journals Vaccinating the oldest against COVID-19 saves both the most lives and most years of life

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (11) ◽  
pp. e2026322118
Author(s):  
Joshua R. Goldstein ◽  
Thomas Cassidy ◽  
Kenneth W. Wachter
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Mathematical Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Remaining Life ◽  
Age Patterns ◽  
Remaining Life Expectancy

Many competing criteria are under consideration for prioritizing COVID-19 vaccination. Two criteria based on age are demographic: lives saved and years of future life saved. Vaccinating the very old against COVID-19 saves the most lives, but, since older age is accompanied by falling life expectancy, it is widely supposed that these two goals are in conflict. We show this to be mistaken. The age patterns of COVID-19 mortality are such that vaccinating the oldest first saves the most lives and, surprisingly, also maximizes years of remaining life expectancy. We demonstrate this relationship empirically in the United States, Germany, and South Korea and with mathematical analysis of life tables. Our age-risk results, under usual conditions, also apply to health risks.

PSA screening rates in older men in the United States based on nine-year estimated remaining life expectancy.

2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e16006-e16006
Author(s):  
Michael Drazer ◽  
Sandip M. Prasad ◽  
Dezheng Huo ◽  
Mara A Schonberg ◽  
Russell Zelig Szmulewitz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
National Health Interview Survey ◽  
Older Men ◽  
The United States ◽  
Informed Decision Making ◽  
Remaining Life ◽  
Psa Screening ◽  
Interview Survey ◽  
Remaining Life Expectancy

e16006 Background: PSA screening for prostate cancer (PCa) is controversial, but informed decision making is recommended for men with an estimated 10 years of remaining life expectancy (RLE). The association between screening of men 65+ and estimated 9-year life expectancy is unknown. Our purpose was to determine the association between predicted 9-year life expectancy and PCa screening in 2005 and 2010. Methods: Data were extracted from the 2005 and 2010 National Health Interview Survey. Men 65+ without prostate known PCa were divided into quartiles with a validated index estimating 9-year RLE (<27%, 27-52%, 53-75%, and >75%). The proportions of men screened in 2005 and 2010 were determined. Logistic regression was used to compare screening in 2005 and 2010. Results: Screening rates for men 65+ were 48.3% (95% CI, 45.6-50.9%) in 2005 and 48.5% (95% CI, 45.5-51.6%) in 2010 (p = 0.9). There were no differences in screening between cohorts by age and predicted mortality for 65-74 (all p > 0.05 for <27%, 27-52%, 53-75%, and >76% predicted mortality) and 75+ year olds (all p> 0.05). The most screened group were 65-74 year olds with a <27% chance of 9-year mortality, with 58.3% (95% CI, 53.6–63.1) and 56.1% (95% CI, 50.6-61.5) screened in 2005 and 2010. Conclusions: PSA-based PCa screening did not differ between 2005 and 2010 for men 65+. Over 35% and 33% of older men with limited estimated 9-year RLE were screened in 2005 and 2010 despite minimal clinical benefit. [Table: see text]

scholarly journals Smoking, life expectancy, and chronic disease in South Korea, Singapore, and the United States: A microsimulation model

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daejung Kim ◽  
Cynthia Chen ◽  
Bryan Tysinger ◽  
Sungchul Park ◽  
Ming Zhe Chong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
South Korea ◽  
The United States ◽  
Microsimulation Model

scholarly journals Demographic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Life Expectancy With Hearing Impairment in the United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica S West ◽  
Scott M Lynch
Keyword(s):  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Social Disparities ◽  
Remaining Life ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Total Life Expectancy ◽  
Remaining Life Expectancy

Abstract Objectives Hearing impairment is one of the most common disabilities among older people, and its prevalence will increase as the U.S. population ages. However, little is known about social disparities in onset or transitions into and out of hearing impairment, nor how these transitions impact years of life to be spent impaired. Method We investigate the number of years an “average” person can expect to live with and without hearing impairment after age 50; sex, race, educational, and regional differences in these expectancies; and the implication of hearing impairment for remaining life expectancy. Bayesian multistate life table methods are applied to 9 waves of data from the Health and Retirement Study (1998–2014) to investigate social disparities in life expectancy with hearing impairment (n = 20,200) for the general population, people hearing impaired at age 50, and people hearing unimpaired at age 50. Results Men, Hispanics, persons with less educational attainment, and those born in the south can expect to live a larger proportion of their remaining lives hearing impaired. Although transitions from hearing impaired to unimpaired occur, those with some hearing impairment at age 50 can expect to live more years with hearing impairment, and hearing impairment does not shorten remaining life expectancy. Discussion Significant sociodemographic disparities in hearing impaired life expectancy exist. In contrast to past research, we find that hearing impairment does not affect total life expectancy. Future research should consider the consequences of hearing impairment for years to be lived with other age-related and potentially downstream health outcomes.

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