The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global life expectancy has been a topic of concern and study for researchers worldwide. A recent analysis of cause-of-death data for 24 countries has shed light on the significant declines in life expectancy seen during the pandemic years.
The study revealed that in 2020, life expectancy declined in all but four of the 24 countries included in the analysis. The United States experienced the largest decline of 2.1 years for males. In 2021, further declines in life expectancy were observed in most countries, with females in Bulgaria and males in Latvia experiencing the largest losses of over two years.
Lead author Antonino Polizzi, a student at the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science, emphasized the far-reaching effects of the pandemic on mortality rates globally. The study highlighted that life expectancy losses had not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels in several countries by 2022.
One of the major contributors to life expectancy losses during the pandemic was increased mortality attributed to cardiovascular disease, particularly in Russia and Eastern Europe. The study found that cardiovascular disease-related losses were greatest in Russia in 2020 and Bulgaria in 2021. The authors suggested that lapses in prevention or treatment of cardiovascular disease, along with undercounted COVID-19 deaths, could have played a role in these losses.
Co-author Professor Jennifer Dowd noted that the pandemic had reversed years of progress in reducing cardiovascular deaths in several countries, which had previously contributed to gains in life expectancy. The study also found increased mortality from substance abuse and mental health-related causes in some countries, with the U.S. and Canada experiencing continued increases in drug-related deaths.
On a positive note, cancer mortality generally continued to decline in most countries during the pandemic. The authors speculated that cancer care was less disrupted than expected, or that individuals with cancer were more susceptible to COVID-19 mortality, which may not have been counted as a cancer death.
The study concluded by emphasizing the importance of robust health care systems that can handle crises without compromising care for other conditions. It also highlighted the need for targeted public health interventions to address the varied impacts of the pandemic across different countries and age groups.
Co-author Dr. José Manuel Aburto stressed the significance of analyzing different diseases and causes of death in a post-pandemic context to identify factors that can improve global health care systems. The research, published in PNAS Nexus, provides valuable insights into the indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality rates and underscores the importance of ongoing efforts to address the long-term impacts on public health.
