'Population autopsy' finds Americans are dying younger than other wealthy countries - the deadliest 2 culprits revealed

Key Points:

• A study of over 63 million deaths from 1999 to 2022 found that nearly 12.7 million American deaths could have been avoided if US death rates matched those of 17 peer wealthy nations, with excess deaths tripling from 346,000 to over 905,000 annually.
• The leading causes of the US longevity gap are rising rates of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, along with increasing "deaths of despair" linked to drugs, alcohol, and suicide, especially among men and younger adults under 45.
• Circulatory disease deaths declined in the US from 1999 to 2009 but then sharply increased through 2022, with earlier onset among adults aged 45-64, likely driven by obesity and dietary changes.
• Deaths of despair have surged, contributing significantly to mortality among younger Americans, exacerbated by behavioral health issues, social stressors, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which also worsened outcomes for other major diseases.
• Experts emphasize the need for improved preventive care and early intervention targeting both physical and behavioral health to reverse these trends, despite the slight increase in average US life expectancy to 79 years in 2024.