scholarly journals Monitoring life expectancy levels during the COVID-19 pandemic: Example of the unequal impact of the first wave on Spanish regions

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0241952 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergi Trias-Llimós ◽  
Tim Riffe ◽  
Usama Bilal

Background To provide an interpretable summary of the impact on mortality of the COVID-19 pandemic we estimate weekly and annual life expectancies at birth in Spain and its regions. Methods We used daily death count data from the Spanish Daily Mortality Monitoring System (MoMo), and death counts from 2018, and population on July 1st, 2019 by region (CCAA), age groups, and sex from the Spanish National Statistics Institute. We estimated weekly and annual (2019 and 2020*, the shifted annual calendar period up to 5 July 2020) life expectancies at birth as well as their differences with respect to 2019. Results Weekly life expectancies at birth in Spain were lower in weeks 11–20, 2020 compared to the same weeks in 2019. This drop in weekly life expectancy was especially strong in weeks 13 and 14 (March 23rd to April 5th), with national declines ranging between 6.1 and 7.6 years and maximum regional weekly declines of up to 15 years in Madrid. Annual life expectancy differences between 2019 and 2020 also reflected an overall drop in annual life expectancy of 0.9 years for both men and women. These drops ranged between 0 years in several regions (e.g. Canary and Balearic Islands) to 2.8 years among men in Madrid. Conclusions Life expectancy is an easy to interpret measure for understanding the heterogeneity of mortality patterns across Spanish regions. Weekly and annual life expectancy are sensitive and useful indicators for understanding disparities and communicating the gravity of the situation because differences are expressed in intuitive year units.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergi Trias-Llimós ◽  
Tim Riffe ◽  
Usama Bilal

AbstractBackgroundTo provide an interpretable summary of the impact on mortality of the COVID-19 pandemic we estimate weekly and annual life expectancies at birth in Spain and its regions.MethodsWe used daily death count data from the Spanish MoMo, and death counts from 2018, and population on 1 July, 2019 by region (CCAA), age groups, and sex from the Spanish National Statistics Institute. We estimated weekly and annual (2019 and 2020*, the shifted annual calendar period up to June 14th 2020) life expectancies at birth as well as their differences with respect to 2019.ResultsWeekly life expectancies at birth in Spain were lower in weeks 11-20, 2020 compared to the same weeks in 2019. This drop in weekly life expectancy was especially strong in weeks 13 and 14 (March 23rd to April 5th), with national declines ranging between 6.1 and 7.6 years and maximum regional weekly declines of up to 15 years in Madrid. Annual life expectancy differences between 2019 and 2020 also reflected an overall drop in annual life expectancy of 0.8 years for both men and women. These drops ranged between 0 years in several regions (e.g. Canary and Balearic Islands) to 2.7 years among men in Madrid.ConclusionsLife expectancy is an easy to interpret measure for understanding the heterogeneity of mortality patterns across Spanish regions. Weekly and annual life expectancy are sensitive useful indicators for understanding disparities and communicating the gravity of the situation because differences are expressed in intuitive year units.Key messages-Weekly and annual updated life expectancy are valuable indicators of the health impacts of the pandemic in populations.-The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain has been severe and highly heterogeneous, with weekly life expectancy falls of up to 15 years in Madrid, and with annual life expectancy falls ranging between 0 and 2.7 years.-Our results for Spain provide important insights into the magnitude of the pandemic in mortality levels across regions and are easy to interpret and compare.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
N Nante ◽  
L Kundisova ◽  
F Gori ◽  
A Martini ◽  
F Battisti ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Changing of life expectancy at birth (LE) over time reflects variations of mortality rates of a certain population. Italy is amongst the countries with the highest LE, Tuscany ranks fifth at the national level. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the impact of various causes of death in different age groups on the change in LE in the Tuscany region (Italy) during period 1987-2015. Material and methods Mortality data relative to residents that died during the period between 1987/1989 and 2013/2015 were provided by the Tuscan Regional Mortality Registry. The causes of death taken into consideration were cardiovascular (CVS), respiratory (RESP) and infective (INF) diseases and cancer (TUM). The decomposition of LE gain was realized with software Epidat, using the Pollard’s method. Results The overall LE gain during the period between two three-years periods was 6.7 years for males, with a major gain between 65-89, and 4.5 years for females, mainly improved between 75-89, <1 year for both sexes. The major gain (2.6 years) was attributable to the reduction of mortality for CVS, followed by TUM (1.76 in males and 0.83 in females) and RESP (0.4 in males; 0.1 in females). The major loss of years of LE was attributable to INF (-0.15 in females; -0.07 in males) and lung cancer in females (-0.13), for which the opposite result was observed for males (gain of 0.62 years of LE). Conclusions During the study period (1987-2015) the gain in LE was major for males. To the reduction of mortality for CVS have contributed to the tempestuous treatment of acute CVS events and secondary CVS prevention. For TUM the result is attributable to the adherence of population to oncologic screening programmes. The excess of mortality for INF that lead to the loss of LE can be attributed to the passage from ICD-9 to ICD-10 in 2003 (higher sensibility of ICD-10) and to the diffusion of multi-drug resistant bacteria, which lead to elevated mortality in these years. Key messages The gain in LE during the period the 1987-2015 was higher in males. The major contribution to gain in LE was due to a reduction of mortality for CVS diseases.


Author(s):  
Minsung Sohn ◽  
Xianhua Che ◽  
Sungwon Lim ◽  
Hee-Jung Park

The aim of this study was to measure the magnitude and distribution of a Korean’s lifetime dental expenses depending on age and sex, by constructing a hypothetical lifetime and life table of survival. Additionally, we estimated the difference in life expectancy between men and women and its impact on dental expenses. We used the 2015 Korea Health Panel Survey to calculate the total dental expenditure, including expenses paid directly by patients and those paid by insurers. We generated survival profiles to simulate dental expenses during a typical lifetime (from birth to age 95) using the abridged life table (five-year intervals for age groups) in 2015 from the South Korean Statistical Information Service. We independently calculated the remaining dental expenses for survivors of all ages. The results showed that an estimate of average lifetime dental expenditure was $31,851 per capita: $31,587 for men and $32,318 for women. Nearly 33% of the average per capita lifetime dental expenditure was attributable to the longer life expectancy of women, with no statistically significant difference in lifetime dental expenditure between men and women. Many survivors incurred 70% of their lifetime dental expenses before age 65. The results highlighted the need for policymakers to address spending on age-specific dental care owing to extended life expectancy, given the disproportionate share of healthcare resources supporting the elderly.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Bano ◽  
L Chaker ◽  
F U S Mattace-Raso ◽  
R P Peeters ◽  
O H Franco

Abstract Background Variations in thyroid function within the reference ranges are associated with an increased risk of diseases and death. However, the impact of thyroid function on life expectancy (LE) and the number of years lived with and without non-communicable diseases (NCD) remains unknown. Purpose We aimed to investigate the association of thyroid function with total LE and LE with and without NCD among euthyroid subjects. Methods Participants of the Rotterdam Study without known thyroid disease and with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) levels within the reference ranges were eligible. NCD were defined as the presence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, or cancer. We used multistate life tables to calculate the total LE and LE with and without NCD among TSH and FT4 tertiles, in men and women. LE estimates were obtained using prevalence, incidence rates and hazard ratios for three transitions (healthy to NCD, healthy to death and NCD to death). Analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic and cardiovascular risk factors. Results The mean (standard deviation) age of 7644 participants was 64.5 (9.7) years and 52.2% were women. Over a median follow-up of 8 years, we observed 1396 incident NCD events and 1422 deaths. Compared with those in the lowest tertile, men and women in the highest TSH tertile lived 1.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.8; 2.3) and 1.5 (95% CI, 0.8; 2.2) years longer, respectively; of which 1.4 (95% CI, 0.5; 2.3) and 1.3 (95% CI, 0.3; 2.1) years with NCD. Compared with those in the lowest tertile, the difference in LE for men and women in the highest FT4 tertile was −3.7 (95% CI, −5.1 to −2.2) and −3.3 (95% CI, −4.7; −1.9), respectively; of which −1.8 (95% CI, −3.1 to −0.7) and −2.0 (95% CI, −3.4 to −0.7) years without NCD. Life expectancy in TSH and FT4 tertiles Conclusions There are meaningful differences in total LE, LE with and without NCD within the reference ranges of thyroid function. People with low-normal thyroid function live more years with and without NCD than those with high-normal thyroid function. These findings support a reevaluation of the current reference ranges of thyroid function.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 276-295
Author(s):  
Tom Turner ◽  
Christine Cross ◽  
Caroline Murphy

While many studies investigate gender wage disparities, few have examined the impact of gender, education, part-time working and sector on earnings for men and women across different occupational groups and for different age groups. The purpose of this article is to undertake a more nuanced approach to further our understanding of the gender pay difference between men and women in different occupations in order to tackle and close this gap. The study’s findings suggest that the labour market is segmented into primary and secondary jobs. Additionally, the earnings returns for education are generally lower for women compared to men and women appear to fare better in the public sector in terms of a lower earnings gap for full-time and part-time employees and higher returns for education compared to women working in the private sector. The article concludes with a discussion of the policy implications.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 17-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar Romero-Ramos ◽  
Emilio Fernández-Rodríguez ◽  
Rafael Merino-Marbán ◽  
Daniel Mayorga-Vega ◽  
Robert Podstawski

Abstract Introduction. Cross triathlon is a sport consisting of three segments: swimming, off-road cycling, and running. Our study analyses the differences in performance between genders and changes in performance in selected age categories at the ITU Cross World Championships held between 2011 and 2016. Material and methods. During this period, a total of 1,933 triathletes were analysed (1,472 men and 461 women). Two-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used to examine the impact of sex differences and age-related changes on performance (time, percentage of time, and performance ratio) in swimming, cycling, running, and total race. Results. The age groups with the highest level of participation were persons aged 40-44 and 45-49 years among men and women, respectively. With regards to performance in the different age groups, in men and women, its high level was maintained between 25 and 49 years, and it decreased significantly from the age of 50-54. In men, the best results in cycling and total race time were obtained in the 30-34 age group and in swimming and running in the 40-44 group. Women obtained the best results in running in the 25-29 age group, in cycling in the 30-34 group, and in swimming and total race time in the 35-39 group. Conclusions. The results of the study have confirmed that there is a demand for sports in 40+ age groups. As for performance in the different age groups, it was on a high level between 25 and 49 years and decreased significantly from the age of 50-54 onwards. According to these results, the sports training of these triathletes should be oriented so that they obtain their best results between 30 and 35 years of age.


1994 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 449-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuella Adrian ◽  
Neville Layne ◽  
Joan Moreau

Purpose. The goal of this study was to develop a method to measure the impact and cost-effectiveness of health promotion. Design. Age- and sex-specific changes in life expectancy in Canada between 1970 to 1972 and 1985 to 1987, after the introduction of national health insurance (1970) and health promotion (1975), are used to assess the impact due to biological hardiness, improvements in the health care field, and the effects of health promotion. Subjects. The subjects were the total male and female population of Canada between the years 1970 to 1972 and 1985 to 1987. Measures. Life expectancy by years of age by sex was the measurement used. Results. A method is presented that allows the calculation of the differential effects of health promotion, heath care, and biological hardiness on changes in life expectancy based on sequential subtraction of life expectancies for one-year age cohorts over a 15-year period. Results were obtained for each year of age for men and women, showing gender and age differences in the relative impact of the three factors. In this illustrative example using Canadian data, health promotion was found to have less impact on longevity than health care or biological hardiness. However, of the three, health promotion was the most cost-effective. Conclusion. This method can be used to quantify changes in life span due to health promotion, health care, and biological hardiness for men and women at each year of age and to relate this to health expenditures for the whole population. The method is limited in that it cannot determine the relative impact of other factors that can affect life expectancy such as environmental changes or social trends.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Lindert ◽  
K C Paul ◽  
M Lachman ◽  
B Ritz ◽  
T Seeman

Abstract Background Social stress and strain, especially discrimination and inequality might have an impact on memory and cognitive function. This is a major concern for older individuals, their families, communities and societies. We sought to assess changes in episodic memory (EM) and executive functioning (EF) among men and women in the 'Midlife in the United States' (MIDUS) cohort study, to delineate variations in EM and EF by gender, and to determine the impact of social stress/strain at three levels (family, work, society) on longitudinal changes in EM and EF in men and women. Methods We used data from the MIDUS study - a national probability sample of non-institutionalized, English speaking respondents aged 25-74 living in the 48 contiguous states of the United States. The initial wave in our study (1995) included 4963 non-institutionalized adults aged 32 to 84 (M = 55, SD = 12.4). The dependent variables are EM and EF, which were assessed with the Brief Test for Cognition. The independent variables were social stress and discrimination variables at the family/partner level, the work level and the society level, assessed with validated discrimination measures. To assess cognition changes we estimated adjusted linear regression models. Results Women report more perceived inequality for their family and more family strain than men across all age groups. After controlling for other explanatory variables, the main effect on cognition for all age groups was found for perceived inequality of one's family opportunities. Conclusions Reducing social stress and providing opportunities might be an important measure to support episodic memory and executive functioning in aging populations.


Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 1845-1845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asa R. Derolf ◽  
Ola Landgren ◽  
Paul Dickman ◽  
Sigurdur Y. Kristinsson ◽  
Magnus Bjorkholm

Abstract Background AML is an aggressive disease, which is rapidly fatal without specific therapy. Such treatment was not available until the early 1970’s when combinations of anthracyclines and cytarabine were introduced. Since then major improvements have been made in chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation (SCT) and supportive care. The aim of this study was to define the impact of modern AML treatment strategies on outcome. Extrapolation of results from clinical trials may not be appropriate for estimation of outcome in the whole population because of a varying degree of patient selection. In this study relative survival rates (RSR) were estimated in relation to age, sex, calendar period and region of residence in a cohort of 5,809 AML patients. Methods Records on all patients with AML reported to the Swedish Cancer Register between 1973 and 2001 were linked to the nationwide Cause of Death Register. Information on the number of SCT in AML patients in Sweden during the study period was obtained from the EBMT register. Survival analysis were performed by computing relative survival rates (RSR), defined as the ratio of observed survival of the patients in the cohort versus the expected survival among individuals of the same age, sex, and calendar year of observation. Results 5809 AML patients diagnosed between January 1, 1973 and December 31, 2001 were identified. The cases were divided into six age groups; 0–18, 19–40, 41–60, 61–70, 71–80, and 80+ years. The study period was arbitrarily divided into 7-year intervals. Improvement was seen in all age groups but the eldest. However, patients < 60 years benefited most from new treatment strategies (table 1). There was a marked increase in SCT during the study period with allogeneic SCT dominating in the last period (fig 1). A comparison between regions (with different therapeutical traditions) was made. The regions of Stockholm, Uppsala and Örebro have cooperated since 1971 within the Leukemia Group of Middle Sweden (LGMS) and was therefore considered as one region and compared with the rest of the country. During the first calendar period the 5-year RSR of residents with AML in LGMS counties was significantly higher than that of patients in remaining regions. However, this difference has disappeared with time. Conclusion Improvement in overall survival of AML patients was mainly confined to young patients (<60 years). However, among patients 60–71 years at diagnosis, a slightly improved RSR was observed. For patients above the age of 70 years, the prognosis remains very poor stressing the fact that the decision to use aggressive chemotherapy for this group of patients should consider the risk of iatrogenic morbidity and mortality as well as projected benefit. The early creation of a cooperative clinical AML group probably explains the improved RSR rates during the first study period (1973–1979). Table 1. Five-year RSR (%) according to age group and calendar period calendar period/age group (years) 1973–1979 1980–1986 1987–1993 1994–2000 0–18 17 31 52 68 19–40 14 17 38 58 41–60 7 13 22 36 61–70 6 8 12 15 71–80 3 3 7 6 81+ 1 0 0 1 Fig. 1 Number of stem cell transplantation in Sweden 1973–2001 Fig. 1. Number of stem cell transplantation in Sweden 1973–2001


Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 118 (21) ◽  
pp. 5214-5214
Author(s):  
Mamatha Prabhakar ◽  
Bindu Kanapuru ◽  
Ahmedin Jemal ◽  
Charles Hesdorffer ◽  
William Ershler ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 5214 Background: Indolent lymphomas account for 35–40% of Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL). The treatment choices, and as a result, the overall outcome of these indolent lymphomas seem to be changing with the introduction of chemoimmunotherapy. However, the impact of these new treatment approaches on the survival in older patients has not been specifically studied. Methods: We used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database to determine survival for older patients diagnosed with indolent lymphomas. We compared trends in survival between 1977–86, 1987–96 and 1997–2006 in men and women, for three age groups 65–74, 75–84 and 85+ years. Survival rates were calculated up to 9 years post-diagnosis. Results: Between 1977 and 2006, survival rates increased for both men and women in all three age groups. The greatest improvement in survival was seen at 5 years. Between 1977–86 and 1997–2006, 5-year survival rates increased in men/women by 21%/22%, 23%/29% and 16%/24% in the 65–74, 75–84 and 85+ age groups respectively. Survival gains increased with each decade in all age groups for both sexes with the most marked improvements between 1987–1996 & 1997–2006. Women in the first two groups consistently demonstrated a better survival than men. The oldest old men (85+) had the lowest survival rate with the majority of the deaths occurring in the first year of diagnosis. Conclusions: Survival for older patients has increased considerably in the interval between 1977–2006 with the largest improvement seen in the 75–84 year old age group. Larger increases in the survival rates between 1987–1996 and 1997–2006 might be accounted for by the benefits of immunotherapy with the introduction of rituximab in 1998. The increased early deaths noted in men 85+, could be related to treatment toxicity. While earlier treatment is being advocated for patients diagnosed with indolent lymphoma, the data we present imply that more careful consideration should be given to the selection of patients above the age of 85 for such treatment. Male-female differences in survival are interesting and further study would seem important to elucidate the causes. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document