In today’s Health Alert, a new study reveals that American women have a shorter life expectancy and face the highest rate of avoidable deaths among 14 other high-income countries.
This study comes from The Commonwealth Fund. Researchers found that women in the US live about 80 years, which is the shortest among the 14 high-income countries studied. On average, American women live two years less than peers in the United Kingdom, four years less than those in Canada, six years less than those in France, and seven years less than those in Japan. This is despite the United States spending more money on health care than these other countries.
When it comes to cause of death, heart disease is the leading issue for women in the US. Among the 14 countries, the US has the highest number of women dying from heart disease. Sadly, the rate was more than double what was seen in some countries.
Also, when looking at health status, women in the U.S. face more chronic health conditions compared to their peers in most of the other countries. They also tend to take a lot more prescription medications, with about a quarter of them using at least four different drugs regularly. For Black women in the U.S., nearly 40% are on four or more prescription medications. Furthermore, American women are more likely to skip mental health services and have some of the highest rates of mental and social needs.
For avoidable deaths, U.S. women top the list, with rates more than three times higher than peers in Korea and Japan.
The U.S. is the only wealthy country in this study without universal health care. So, it’s no surprise that women here face significant challenges. In 2023, 14% of women aged 19-64 were uninsured, with over a quarter of Hispanic women affected.
Half of women in the U.S. reported skipping or delaying necessary medical care due to costs. And they are less likely to have a regular doctor. Also, Hispanic and Black women are the most likely to report having at least one social need, like worries about food, housing, or steady income.
To help make things better, it’s important to advocate for better healthcare policies and support programs that address both health and social needs. And remember, having a regular doctor can really help you stay on top of your health and catch issues early.
This Week on the Dr. Nandi Show
As a health hero, one of the most important things to Dr. Partha Nandi is your mental health. In this episode, he tackles the incredibly tough topic of suicide with Ruth Soukup, a suicide survivor and two other guests whose families have been touched by the loss of a loved one. Do you think a loved one might be contemplating suicide? Find out the signs with Dr. Suvrat Bhargave. Plus, author Steve Simpson joins Dr. Nandi to talk about how Hollywood is changing the face of mental health awareness. Tune in this Saturday, August 17th at 12:30 pm to watch “Suicide - How Can We Stop this Epidemic?”
