Despite ongoing economic and political challenges, new data reveals that Americans are experiencing improvements in several key health metrics, Axios reports.
Overdose deaths are down, life expectancy is rising, cancer survival rates are improving, and obesity rates have leveled off for the first time in a decade.
Life expectancy, which had declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, rebounded in 2022, rising to 77.5 years from 76.4 in 2021. This upward trend indicates a recovery, although it remains below the pre-pandemic level of 78.8 years. Death rates for people aged 15 and older have also declined, although infant mortality rates have increased slightly. COVID-19 dropped from the third to fourth leading cause of death, now trailing heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries.
In another positive development, drug overdose deaths have declined in both 2023 and 2024, offering hope that the opioid crisis may be abating. Public health experts suggest that wider access to naloxone, a life-saving drug that reverses overdoses, and the easing of pandemic-related isolation could be contributing factors.
The odds of surviving cancer have continued to improve, with the five-year relative survival rate rising to 69% for diagnoses between 2013 and 2019, up from 49% in the mid-1970s. Advances in targeted therapies, especially for cancers affecting the blood and lymph systems, have contributed to this trend. However, delayed diagnoses during the pandemic and a rise in cancer cases among younger generations pose new challenges.
After years of steady increases, the US obesity rate has stopped climbing. While four in 10 Americans are still classified as obese, this stabilization, partly due to the rise of weight-loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic, is seen as a promising sign. Slimmer waistlines could help reduce cardiovascular and metabolic disease risks in the long term, though many Americans struggle to access these medications due to high costs and limited insurance coverage.
Despite these positive trends, the US continues to rank poorly in health outcomes compared to other high-income countries. A fragmented healthcare system and high out-of-pocket costs often prevent people from seeking timely care. The Commonwealth Fund recently ranked the US lowest in health outcomes among 10 developed countries, citing the need for systemic reforms to improve insurance coverage and reduce administrative barriers.
