Racial disparity in life expectancies and life years lost associated with multiple obesity-related chronic conditions

This study investigated racial disparity in life expectancies (LEs) and life years lost (LYL) associated with multiple obesity-related chronic conditions (OCCs).

Data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2008-2012, were used. Four OCCs were studied: diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke. LE for each subpopulation was simulated by Markov modelling. LYL associated with a disease for a subpopulation was computed by taking the difference between LEs for members of that subpopulation without disease and LEs for members of that subpopulation who had that disease. Racial disparities were measured in the absolute differences in LE and LYL between black women/men and white women/men.

Black individuals had higher risks of developing diabetes, hypertension, and stroke. This disparity in LE between white and black participants was largest in men age 40 to 49 with at least stroke: black men lived 3.12 years shorter than white men. The disparity in LYL between white and black participants was largest in women age 70 to 79 with at least CHD: black women had 1.98 years more LYL than white women.

Racial disparity exists in incident disease and mortality risks, LEs, and LYL associated with multiple OCCs. Efforts targeting subpopulations with large disparities are required to reduce disparities in the burden of multiple OCCs.