Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds

The latest research comparing wealth and survival rates in the United States with those in Europe has revealed some startling findings. Over a 10-year period, Americans at all wealth levels were found to have a higher likelihood of dying compared to their European counterparts.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine and led by researchers at Brown University School of Public Health, analyzed data from over 73,000 adults in the U.S. and various regions of Europe. The goal was to explore how wealth impacts a person’s chances of mortality. The results indicated that individuals with higher wealth tend to live longer than those with lower wealth, especially in the U.S. where income inequality is more pronounced than in Europe.

Even when comparing different wealth levels, mortality rates in the U.S. were consistently higher than in the parts of Europe studied. The wealthiest Americans were found to have shorter lifespans on average than the wealthiest Europeans, with some cases showing survival rates among the richest Americans equivalent to the poorest Europeans in countries like Germany, France, and the Netherlands.

Lead study author Irene Papanicolas, a professor at Brown University, noted that life expectancy in the U.S. has been declining in recent years. The study provides a detailed insight into life expectancy across different demographics in the U.S. compared to various European regions.

The research emphasized that systemic issues in the U.S., such as economic inequality and risk factors like stress, diet, and environmental hazards, contribute to lower life expectancy, even among the wealthiest Americans. The study highlighted how individuals in the wealthiest quartile had a 40% lower death rate than those in the poorest quartile, and how participants in Continental Europe had significantly lower death rates compared to U.S. participants.

The study also pointed out cultural and behavioral factors, such as smoking and diet, as well as the “survivor effect” in the U.S., where poorer individuals with worse health outcomes tend to die earlier, skewing wealth inequality statistics.

The researchers called for policy interventions to address the growing wealth-mortality gap in the U.S. and emphasized the need to learn from other countries with better health outcomes. By addressing overlooked factors, policymakers could significantly improve health outcomes in the U.S. and reduce the disparities highlighted in the study.

The study sheds light on the urgent need for comprehensive policies that go beyond the healthcare system’s shortcomings and tackle the broader societal issues contributing to disparities in health outcomes. It serves as a wake-up call to prioritize public health initiatives that address the root causes of inequality and improve overall well-being for all Americans.