The CDC has reported that average American life expectancy has dropped for the first time since 1993, and that's a big deal.
The federal government has been using Americans' health data for the last handful of generations to help gauge the country's overall wellbeing. We've been able to track how much of any given disease or illness is active at any one time and what demographics are most likely to be affected by those ailments. This has lead to more effective and targeted treatments. A positive side effect of our growing body of knowledge has been a correlation to lengthening our average life expectancy, or years we can expect to live, as individuals in this country. Since American health tracking began, there have only been a few instances of life expectancy stalling or declining; these examples included the chunk of time in the early 1990's where America found itself in the center of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Even an outbreak of that magnitude only affected our life expectancy by around a tenth of a year.
The findings from 2015 changed that trend.
In a single data cycle, our life expectancy as Americans dropped by around two-tenths of a year. While that may seem trivial at first it becomes rather terrifying in context. In 2015 alone, our health was poor enough to remove about two and a half months off of how long the average American can expect to live.
The culprits behind the increase in American mortality are the usual suspects; obesity, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's, cancer, drug abuse and suicide. While these factors had been decreasing in the last decade, they made a come back in 2015.
Our current understanding has shown that these specific risk factors for early death tend to affect those who are under the age of 65. This holds particular weight now. We are living in a time where drug and alcohol abuse is on the rise. Statistically, more people are using hard drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine. Cocaine is known as the "perfect heart attack drug" by its users, including occasionally dabblers, who were found to possess stiffer than average arteries and dangerously high blood pressure. Methamphetamine use has been shown to actually alter the biological state of the brain, making users more prone to infections and strokes.
However, drug abuse isn't the only thing affecting the 65 and younger age bracket. A lot of our health concerns can be tracked back to our lifestyle as Americans. We live in a fast-paced nation where sleep, nutritious meals, and mental health awareness are put on the back burner in favor of dedication to our jobs, schooling and activities. This mode of living has put us at greater risk for all the aforementioned health problems, and it's starting to make waves in our culture.
Consider this: how many of last year's celebrity deaths can we attribute to the poor health factors above?
Carrie Fisher, beloved star from the "Star Wars" saga and outspoken advocate for women's rights, died shockingly of a heart attack at age 60. She was open about her previous battles with addiction, even citing her frequent use of cocaine during the mid-1980's. David Bowie, who changed the face of stardom by altering the status-quo, described cocaine as his "soulmate." He died of cancer at the age of 69.
The state we exist in as Americans is beginning to affect how long we will live. Take a moment to count all the loved ones in your life who are afflicted by one of the top ailments of our country. Each of us knows someone personally who's dealing with a mental health issue, obesity, cancer, heart disease or drug abuse. To combat this epidemic we must start by being aware. Understand that these factors are abundant and that preventative practices and treatment can go a long way in giving someone a better quality of life. If we eat better, take quality time for ourselves, and spread awareness of the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse we can eventually fight back the deadly trend that has taken over our country.
