Life expectancy dropping among Down East women
Americans, on a whole, are living longer than ever. But in a few parts of the country, including Washington County, life expectancy is falling.
A new study published in the online journal PLoS found that women in Washington County experienced a "significant decline" in longevity.
Check out the map in the lower right. Red denotes the biggest declines in longevity, followed by orange, then white – "no change" – then yellow, light green and dark green.
PLos
Gain in life expectancy is strongly linked to county income, putting Washington County, which has the state's lowest median income, at a disadvantage.
Other counties that saw declines were in the Rocky Mountain area and the Four Corners region (where Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado meet).
The drop in female life expectancy after 1983 was caused by a conditions such as lung cancer, diabetes and COPD, according to the research done by the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Washington.
Posted at 12:03 PM
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