Americans Die Younger Than U.K. Counterparts Due to Four Preventable Causes

Heart disease, overdoses, firearm violence, and motor vehicle crashes—in that order—are responsible for a 2.7-year difference in life expectancy in the U.S. compared with England and Wales, according to a new report from the Bloomberg American Health Initiative.

Researchers identified the causes of death responsible for the life expectancy gap using data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.K. Office for National Statistics. People in the U.S. are much more likely to die of these four causes than in England and Wales.

People in the U.S. are expected to live on average 78.6 years, while those in England and Wales are expected to live on average 81.3 years, according to the analysis based on 2023 data.

The new report is a follow-up to a 2022 report from the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, which detailed actions the U.S. can take to address declining life expectancy. 

The reports seek to address a widening gap in life expectancy between the two countries seen over the past half century. In 1984, life expectancy in the U.S. and the U.K. was the same, but the gap has widened over time.

The report, from Bloomberg American Health Initiative researchers based at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, includes recommendations to reduce U.S. deaths by these preventable causes.

These evidence-based solutions, the report authors say, can increase lifetimes in the U.S.:

• Reduce cardiovascular disease by prioritizing clinical and population-based solutions including increasing access to treatment for hypertension, increasing access to more nutritious food, reducing sodium through food policy, and providing more opportunities for physical activity.

• Reduce overdose-related deaths by expanding access to treatment for opioid use disorder, such as methadone, in the U.S. through community pharmacies and correctional facilities. 

• Reduce gun homicides and gun-related suicides by limiting access to gun ownership through Firearm Purchaser Licensing and Extreme Risk Protection Orders, both popular policies that have been shown to reduce violence or self-harm.

• Reduce teen suicides by building a national community mental health infrastructure that allows for ongoing investment in mental health care services, especially in rural and historically underserved areas.

• Reduce motor vehicle crashes by incorporating intelligent speed technology that alerts drivers when they are over the speed limit, enforce penalties for impaired driving, and include a hazard perception test as part of driver licensing requirements.

"If we choose programmatic and policy solutions based on evidence, we will close this gap," said Josh Sharfstein, MD, director of the Bloomberg American Health Initiative and vice dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement at the Bloomberg School.

The report is to be announced at the seventh annual Bloomberg American Health Summit in Washington, D.C., where public health leaders, government officials, community organizations, researchers, and students are convening to discuss the urgent need to uphold evidence-based health policies to improve life expectancy in a politically divided country.  

The Bloomberg American Health Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health was developed to tackle five core issues that deeply challenge the nation’s health: addiction and overdose; adolescent health; environmental challenges; food systems; and violence. The Initiative’s work with faculty, Bloomberg Fellows, and collaborating organizations together comprises a dynamic nationwide network committed to harnessing data and developing new approaches to public health that will ensure a healthier future for all Americans.