Global Healthspan-Lifespan Gaps Among 183 World Health Organization Member States.

Area of Science:

• Global health
• Longevity research
• Public health policy

Background:

• Health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE) is crucial for measuring healthy longevity.
• Gains in life expectancy are not matched by gains in HALE, creating a healthspan-lifespan gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the global healthspan-lifespan gap.
• To investigate sex disparities in this gap.
• To analyze associations between the gap and morbidity/mortality.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cross-sectional study utilizing WHO Global Health Observatory data.
• Analysis of national-level data from 183 WHO member states over two decades.
• Quantification of HALE and life expectancy changes, stratified by sex, with morbidity and mortality correlations.

Main Results:

• The global healthspan-lifespan gap has increased to 9.6 years over the past two decades.
• Women exhibit a significantly wider gap (2.4 years) than men (P < .001).
• The gap correlates positively with noncommunicable diseases and morbidity, and negatively with mortality.

Conclusions:

• Growing healthspan-lifespan gaps pose a threat to healthy longevity globally.
• Women consistently experience a larger healthspan-lifespan gap compared to men.
• Addressing this disparity is critical for improving global population health outcomes.