From 2000-2015, we can see that life expectancy has been growing faster the higher your income bracket (source is Vox citing JAMA).
There’s an angle to be considered in which this is disturbingly inequitable. That problem is even worse when considering the international inequities in life expectancy. So let’s fund malaria bednets and vaccine research to help bring down malaria deaths from 600,000/year to zero - or maybe support a gene drive to eliminate it once and for all.
At the same time, this seems like hopeful news for longevity research. If we were hitting a biological limit in how much we can improve human lifespans, we’d expect to see that limit first among the wealthiest, who can best afford to safeguard their health. Instead, we see that the wealthiest not only enjoy the longest lifespans, but also enjoy the fastest rate of lifespan increase.
My major uncertainty is reverse and multiple causation. A longer life gives you more time to make money. Also, lifespan and wealth have underlying traits in common, such as conscientiousness and energy. Still, this result seems both clear and surprising—I’d expected it to be the other way around, and it nudges me in the direction of thinking further gains are possible.
I’m surprised by the difference. I’m curious whether the United States is special in that regard or whether the patterns also exist in European countries to the same extent.
From 2000-2015, we can see that life expectancy has been growing faster the higher your income bracket (source is Vox citing JAMA).
There’s an angle to be considered in which this is disturbingly inequitable. That problem is even worse when considering the international inequities in life expectancy. So let’s fund malaria bednets and vaccine research to help bring down malaria deaths from 600,000/year to zero - or maybe support a gene drive to eliminate it once and for all.
At the same time, this seems like hopeful news for longevity research. If we were hitting a biological limit in how much we can improve human lifespans, we’d expect to see that limit first among the wealthiest, who can best afford to safeguard their health. Instead, we see that the wealthiest not only enjoy the longest lifespans, but also enjoy the fastest rate of lifespan increase.
My major uncertainty is reverse and multiple causation. A longer life gives you more time to make money. Also, lifespan and wealth have underlying traits in common, such as conscientiousness and energy. Still, this result seems both clear and surprising—I’d expected it to be the other way around, and it nudges me in the direction of thinking further gains are possible.
I’m surprised by the difference. I’m curious whether the United States is special in that regard or whether the patterns also exist in European countries to the same extent.