Longer lives, worse health? Scientists uncover troubling trend across generations

People across the world are living longer, but they’re also spending more years coping with ill health, a recent study observed.

The "morbidity gap" — the number of years people spend in poor health, typically struggling with chronic challenges such as low back pain, hearing loss and depression — widened across 203 of 204 countries analyzed, and was the most pronounced in America, the researchers found.

"Globally in 2023, an average of 14·5% of life was spent in poor health, compared to 13·6% in 1990," the researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington reported.

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In the United States, the morbidity gap is about 14 years, or 17.8% of the expected lifespan.

"Between 1990 and 2023, global life expectancy at birth increased from 64.6 years to 73.8 years, while healthy life expectancy rose from 55.9 years to 63.1 years," the researchers reported in a news release.

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"Because gains in survival consistently outpaced gains in healthy years of life, people are spending more years living with chronic disease and disability," they wrote.

A recent study found that the number of years people spend in poor health is widening, especially in America. (iStock)

The gap widened the most in the wealthiest countries where populations have access to life-extending resources, the researchers reported. Women are also living longer than men, but also spending more years in poor health, they found.

"To me, the most important message of this study is not that people are living longer — it is that we have become far better at delaying death than delaying functional decline," Dr. Antony Chu, clinical assistant professor at Brown University’s Warren Alpert School of Medicine, told Fox News Digital.

"Modern medicine has achieved remarkable success in reducing mortality from cardiovascular disease, cancer, trauma and infectious illness," he said. "Yet many of those additional years are now lived with chronic pain, disability, sensory loss, depression or reduced independence."

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Researchers analyzed Global Burden of Disease data covering 204 countries and territories from 1990 through 2023. In their report, published by The Lancet Public Health, scientists observed that a small number of chronic, largely non-fatal causes were the primary contributors to the morbidity gap.

Musculoskeletal disorders, especially low back pain, mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety, hearing loss, falls and other non-communicable accounted for about 57% of all years lived in poor health worldwide. High fasting plasma glucose, obesity and aging populations were also important contributors.

The researchers noted that the study points to broad health trends but doesn’t prove exactly what's causing people to spend more years in poor health.

Researchers recently found people are spending more years living with chronic diseases and disabilities. (iStock)

"Our findings suggest that future gains in population health will come not only from helping people live longer, but from helping them live healthier," said Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington School of Medicine and senior author of the study.

"Progress in healthy aging should be measured not only by lifespan, but by healthspan [the number of years spent in good health], with greater investment in prevention, long-term disease management and chronic care to reduce years lived in poor health," Murray added.

The goal should no longer be simply extending lifespan, but compressing morbidity and maximizing the number of years people remain physically, cognitively and socially well, Chu told Fox News Digital.

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"Ultimately, I believe the next frontier of medicine is not simply adding years to life, but adding life to years," he said. "First, we need to focus on preserving function rather than simply reacting to disease."

The approach involves routinely assessing mobility, muscle strength, balance, hearing, cognition and overall physical resilience. Chu said this may prove just as important as monitoring blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose.

"Functional decline often begins years before disability becomes obvious, providing an opportunity for earlier intervention," he said.

Many older Americans are socially isolated, though research shows relationships are important to longevity, an expert said. (iStock)

Musculoskeletal health also deserves much greater emphasis, Chu said.

"Progressive resistance training, fall prevention, maintenance of muscle mass and early treatment of chronic back pain should become core components of preventive medicine rather than afterthoughts," he said. "Preserving mobility may ultimately have as much impact on healthy aging as preventing heart disease."

Mental health and social connection are another vital component to healthspan, Chu said.

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"Hearing loss, depression, anxiety and loneliness frequently reinforce one another, accelerating physical decline while diminishing quality of life," he said. "Addressing these conditions early may improve both longevity and independence."

Chu, who is the child of immigrants, said it’s his belief that Americans often overlook an important cultural dimension of healthy aging.

"In many societies outside the United States, older adults continue to play an active and respected role within multigenerational families," he said. "They remain mentors, caregivers, historians and sources of wisdom. This continued sense of purpose and belonging may provide meaningful protection against loneliness, depression and loss of identity."

A continued sense of purpose and belonging may lead people to live longer and healthier lives, according to an expert. (iStock)

"By contrast, many older Americans experience increasing social isolation precisely when maintaining meaningful relationships may be most important," Chu added. "Healthy aging is not determined solely by biology; it is also shaped by community, purpose and human connection."