Closing the East-West life expectancy gap in the European union: a new strategy

According to recent studies, the difference in life expectancy -the gap-between eastern and western countries of the European Union (EU) grows continuously. We have analyzed data on life expectancy and household expenditure, corrected by price level indices, in the countries of the EU. We have found that eastern European countries have less total health expenditure, but expenditures on tobacco and alcohol dominate. We propose a new strategy for closing the gap, by promoting health care spending, public and private investments in life extension, and radical life extension research in the eastern countries of the EU.