Address of the President, Lord May of Oxford OM AC KT FRS, given at the Anniversary Meeting on 1 December 2003

2004 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-145
Author(s):  
R. M. May
Keyword(s):  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Royal Society ◽  
Experimental Approach ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Turn On ◽  
Life Expectancy At Birth ◽  
Average Person ◽  
The Uk

When The Royal Society was founded in 1660, life for the average person in the UK was unimaginably different from today. For one thing, largely owing to lack of understanding of infectious diseases, life expectancy at birth was roughly half today's. The intervening centuries have seen huge changes, both in scientific understanding and in its effects on everyday life. People have, of course, been trying for thousands of years to make sense of how the natural world works. But with the advent of the fact-based experimental approach – affirmed in The Royal Society's motto Nullius in verba – the lights started to turn on, and science began its continuing journey out from the mists of superstition, dogma, and the apodictic utterances of authority.

The assessment of the aging artery

2005 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
F Fantin ◽  
C Rajkumar ◽  
CJ Bulpitt
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Cause Of Death ◽  
Elderly Population ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Life Expectancy At Birth ◽  
The Uk

The elderly population has greatly increased in the last few decades as life expectancy has risen. In 2005 life expectancy at birth for females born in the UK is 80.2 years, compared with 75.2 years for males. This is in contrast to 49 and 45 years respectively in 1901. Cardiovascular disease is still the most important cause of death in the population over the age of 65, causing 40% of deaths in women and 42% in men of this age.

scholarly journals What can lifespan variation tell us about trends in life expectancy in high income countries?

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Hiam ◽  
J Minton ◽  
M McKee
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Recent Analysis ◽  
Environmental Event ◽  
Life Expectancy At Birth ◽  
Mass Migration ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Lifespan Variation ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Building on the findings of presentations 1 and 2, we turn to two further measures of population health: life expectancy at birth and lifespan variation. Life expectancy at birth provides a single figure that captures the overall mortality experience of a nation, and, in the absence of data artefact, a wide-scale environmental event such as war or natural disaster, a disease epidemic or mass migration, life expectancy can be expected to continue to improve in HICs. Concurrently lifespan variation, which measures the average gap between the age at death of an individual and the remaining life expectancy at that age, should decrease as life expectancy increases. Recent analysis of life expectancy improvements in HICs by the Office for National Statistics, using Human Mortality Database data, found that while Japan continues to see improvements, the UK and the USA fell to the bottom of the rankings. Economically, both the UK and Japan have experienced 'lost decades' of poor economic growth, in 1990s and 2010s respectively. Yet, while Japan continued to see life expectancy improvements, in the UK life expectancy stalled, and both countries saw an increase in lifespan variation. In this presentation, we will present the analysis of lifespan variation of 5 HICs: the USA, where life expectancy has declined, the UK, where gains in life expectancy have trailed behind those in other industrialised countries, Japan, which has seen sustained progress, and France and Canada, neighbours of the UK and USA respectively, which lie in the middle. We will examine what can be determined from these measures over periods of poor economic growth, and the implications for achieving 'sustainable growth'.

scholarly journals The impact of mortality for infectious diseases on life expectancy at birth in Tuscany, Italy

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Kundisova ◽  
N Nante ◽  
A Martini ◽  
F Battisti ◽  
L Giovannetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Antimicrobial Therapy ◽  
Geographic Area ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Epidemiologic Transition ◽  
Geographical Differences ◽  
Life Expectancy At Birth ◽  
Hospital Infection Control ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Introduction The epidemiologic transition describes the reduction of mortality for infectious diseases (ID), followed by an increase in prevalence of non-communicable diseases. During recent years the situation has changed; an increase in mortality for sepsis was observed. Italy is amongst the countries with the highest prevalence of microorganisms resistant to antimicrobial therapy in Europe. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the impact of mortality for ID on life expectancy (LE) in the Tuscany region(Italy). Methods Mortality data relative to residents that died during the period 2000/2002- 2013/2015 were provided by the Tuscan Regional Mortality Registry. At first the analysis was performed for whole territory, then for geographic area (Nord-Est:NE, Centrum:C, South-East:SE). The analysis was realized with software Epidat,using the Pollard's method of decomposition of variations in LE for age and cause of death. Results The overall gain in LE was 2.9 years for males and 2.6 years for females. The increase in mortality for ID was responsible for the loss of 0.11 years of LE for males vs. 0.16 years for females. The loss was observed in males aged 45-89, for females from 69 years onwards, with the highest loss between 79-89 years. After analysis for area, geographical differences emerged, for both males and females the highest loss of LE was observed for NE (-0.23 years vs.-0.19), followed by C (-0.15 years vs. -0.16) and SE (-0.12 vs. -0.11). Conclusions The result can be partially explained by the transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 (in 2010), which improved the sensitivity of codification, but also by diffusion of pathogens resistant to antimicrobial therapy. The highest impact of ID was observed in elderly, probably due to the existence of predisposing clinical condition. The ID deserve major attention; the programmes of hospital infection control and antimicrobial stewardship have to be potentiated in order to contain the phenomenon. Key messages During the study period an increase in mortality for infectious diseases comported the loss in terms of LE years. The growing diffusion of microorganisms resistent to antimicrobial therapy could have contributed to the higher mortality rates observed during the last period.

scholarly journals Life expectancy, mortality risks and cause of death in patients with serious mental illness in South East London: a comparison between 2008–2012 and 2013–2017

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Chi-Kang Chang ◽  
Edward Chesney ◽  
Wei-Nung Teng ◽  
Sam Hollandt ◽  
Megan Pritchard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
General Population ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Serious Mental Illness ◽  
Similar Proportion ◽  
Life Expectancy At Birth ◽  
The Difference ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Background People with serious mental illness (SMI) have a significantly shorter life expectancy than the general population. This study investigates whether the mortality rate in this group has changed over the last decade. Methods Using Clinical Record Interactive Search software, we extracted data from a large electronic database of patients in South East London. All patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder from 2008 to 2012 and/or 2013 to 2017 were included. Estimates of life expectancy at birth, standardised mortality ratios and causes of death were obtained for each cohort according to diagnosis and gender. Comparisons were made between cohorts and with the general population using data obtained from the UK Office of National Statistics. Results In total, 26 005 patients were included. In men, life expectancy was greater in 2013–2017 (64.9 years; 95% CI 63.6–66.3) than in 2008–2012 (63.2 years; 95% CI 61.5–64.9). Similarly, in women, life expectancy was greater in 2013–2017 (69.1 years; 95% CI 67.5–70.7) than in 2008–2012 (68.1 years; 95% CI 66.2–69.9). The difference with general population life expectancy fell by 0.9 years between cohorts in men, and 0.5 years in women. In the 2013–2017 cohorts, cancer accounted for a similar proportion of deaths as cardiovascular disease. Conclusions Relative to the general population, life expectancy for people with SMI is still much worse, though it appears to be improving. The increased cancer-related mortality suggests that physical health monitoring should consider including cancer as well.

Analysis of Mortality Data due to Infectious Diseases: Life Table Methods Complementary to Direct Rates

1988 ◽  
Vol 27 (03) ◽  
pp. 137-141
Author(s):  
M. A. A. Moussa ◽  
M. M. Khogali ◽  
T. N. Sugathan
Keyword(s):  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Life Table ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Total Mortality ◽  
Life Tables ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Life Expectancy At Birth

SummaryLife table methods are employed complementary to standard rates to analyse Kuwaiti mortality data due to infectious diseases. The procedure comprises total mortality, multiple-decrement, cause—elimination and cause—delay life tables. To improve reliability of estimated age-specific death rates, the numerator was based on the three-year average of deaths (1981-83), while the denominator was the mid 1982 population projected from the 1980 and 1985 population censuses. To overcome the difficulty of age heaping, both mortality and census data were graduated using the natural cubic spline approach. Proportional mortality was maximum in intestinal infectious diseases particularly in the rural Jahra Governorate. Infectious diseases caused 29.4 and 37.1% of male and female deaths respectively in infancy and early childhood. The male and female life expectancy at birth were 67 and 72 years, respectively.The multiple-decrement life tables showed that 3,346 men and 2,986 women out of the birth cohort (100,000) will ultimately die from infectious diseases. The average number of years lost due to infectious diseases were 0.75 years in both men and women. Relating this loss to the affected (saved) subpopulation only, large gains in life expectancy occur (22.3 and 25.2 years in men and women respectively).

scholarly journals What can lifespan variation reveal that life expectancy hides? Comparison of five high-income countries

2021 ◽  
pp. 014107682110117
Author(s):  
Lucinda Hiam ◽  
Jon Minton ◽  
Martin McKee
Keyword(s):  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Population Data ◽  
High Income ◽  
Life Expectancy At Birth ◽  
Specific Mortality ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Lifespan Variation ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Aggregate Population

Objectives In most countries, life expectancy at birth (e0) has improved for many decades. Recently, however, progress has stalled in the UK and Canada, and reversed in the USA. Lifespan variation, a complementary measure of mortality, increased a few years before the reversal in the USA. To assess whether this measure offers additional meaningful insights, we examine what happened in four other high-income countries with differing life expectancy trends. Design We calculated life disparity (a specific measure of lifespan variation) in five countries -- USA, UK, France, Japan and Canada -- using sex- and age specific mortality rates from the Human Mortality Database from 1975 to 2017 for ages 0--100 years. We then examined trends in age-specific mortality to identify the age groups contributing to these changes. Setting USA, UK, France, Japan and Canada Participants aggregate population data of the above nations. Main Outcome Measures Life expectancy at birth, life disparity and age-specific mortality. Results The stalls and falls in life expectancy, for both males and females, seen in the UK, USA and Canada coincided with rising life disparity. These changes may be driven by worsening mortality in middle-age (such as at age 40). France and Japan, in contrast, continue on previous trajectories. Conclusions Life disparity is an additional summary measure of population health providing information beyond that signalled by life expectancy at birth alone.

Cohort Differences in Mortality and Morbidity

2009 ◽  
Vol 15 (S1) ◽  
pp. 65-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Jagger ◽  
Kaare Christensen ◽  
Michael Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Oldest Old ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Life Expectancy At Birth ◽  
Cohort Differences ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Uk

ABSTRACTIn 1900 life expectancy at birth in the UK was only 46 years for men and 53 years for women. Just over a century later life expectancy at birth has increased by around 30 years and by 2007 had reached 77.5 years for men and 81.7 years for women. The population aged 85 years and over, often termed the ‘oldest old’, are now the fastest growing section of our population. For the 1921 cohort only 18% of men and a third of women reached the age of 85 years but for the 1951 birth cohort it is expected that almost half of men and 60% of women will achieve that age. The important question for health care planners and society is whether the large number of those who will reach 85 years in the future are similar in health characteristics to those attaining 85 years now.This question was addressed by substantive results and by methodological papers in the ‘Cohort’ theme of the Joining Forces on Mortality and Longevity conference in October 2009. Here we provide an overview of the papers, some of which are presented in full in this issue (see Murphy (2009), Di Cesare & Murphy (2009), O'Connell & Dunstan (2009), Forfar (2009)).

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