The contribution of drug-related deaths to the US disadvantage in mortality.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The USA ranks last in life expectancy among high-income countries. Since 2000, excess US mortality has been particularly concentrated in the working ages, which are also the ages hardest hit by the increase in drug deaths. This study measures the effect of drug-related mortality on the gap in life expectancy between the USA and other countries.

Methods

Data from the Human Mortality Database and the World Health Organization were combined to construct age-standardized mortality rates for 2000-14 in 12 high-income countries and the USA for seven broad causes of death, including drug use. The contribution of each cause to the difference in life expectancy between the USA and the other 12 countries was estimated.

Results

In 2014, the increase in drug-related de

SUBMITTER: Barbieri M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6659379 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature