American baby-boomers in worse health than thought

An in-depth American study has indicated that the 55-64-year-old generation is more stressed, in worse health and benefits from less social security than 10 years ago, even though life expectancy has increased.

“Health United States 2014,” the 38th annual edition of this national public health study, focused on a large cohort of Americans aged 55-64. The study was led by the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Health Statistics.

The analysis of vast arrays of public health data, statistics and indicators, such as birth rates, life expectancy and behavioral risk factors, paints a new portrait of the baby-boomer generation in terms of health.

Life expectancy at birth has increased by 1.6 and 1.2 years respectively for Caucasian men and women since 2003, and by 3.4 and 2.7 years respectively for African-American men and women.

Overall, the study notes that despite the fact that baby-boomers live longer than their predecessors 10 years ago, these young seniors aren’t in better health. Occurrences of chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol and obesity have also risen in that period. All of these issues are monitored closely as they present a serious risk of leading to cardiovascular problems.

Today, nearly 1 in 5 baby-boomers suffers from diabetes and 40% of them are overweight or obese.

Psychological distress of a “moderate to severe” level has also slightly increased among this age group and is illustrated by an accentuation of stress.

The report also notes that the portion of baby-boomers covered by a private health insurance has slightly shrunk since 2003.

For every 100,000 people in this age bracket, there are now 77 fewer deaths than 10 years ago, a decrease of 8%. Cancer and cardiovascular diseases remain the two principal causes of death according to the statistics. In fact, in 10 years, only deaths due to involuntary injuries have increased.

The paradox between a decrease in the number of deaths and the deterioration in the health of 55-64 year olds can be explained by an increased intake of medication. To this point, the study notes an increase of 29% in antidiabetic drugs and 54% in treatments for lowering cholesterol and concludes that this trend is a challenge that public health officials must prepare to face.

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