[Years of potential life lost: comparison of 3 calculation methods]

Two methods of assessing Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL): 0 to 65 years and 1 to 70 years are compared to a third, 0 to life expectancy which is considered a priori the most appropriate. In addition we would like to corroborate that YPLL is a complementary indicator of the crude rate of mortality. The results show that the first cause of YPLL remains tumors in all the methods. However, differences appear in the second and following causes. Disparities are also found in crude rates as YPLL reflect causes of death of the youngest age groups of the community. The method 0 to life expectancy is considered the least arbitrary and consequently it is recommended to calculate YPLL.