Live Younger Longer

Gap between life span and health span
Life span is the number of years of life. Health span is the
period of life spent in good health, free from the chronic
diseases and disabilities of aging. Developing lifelong
healthy habits is key to minimizing the gap between the
two.
Based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Heart Association
and other sources.

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Measuring the gap
Chronic diseases and conditions are the biggest reason for a decreased
health span. Heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD) and diabetes are the top causes of years lived with poor
health.
Plenty of adults in the U.S. have chronic illnesses. According to the Rand
Corp., a nonprofit research organization, approximately 60% of American
adults live with at least one chronic condition, the most common of which
is high blood pressure (a key risk factor for heart disease and diabetes).
About 40% of U.S. adults have more than one chronic illness and over 10%
has five or more chronic conditions.
Chronic illnesses tend to multiply with age. Over 80% of Americans 65 and
older have multiple chronic illnesses. But even among middle-age people,
around half have multiple chronic illnesses.
Not only does having a chronic illness decrease your health span, it also
decreases life expectancy. A 2014 study of Medicare beneficiaries found
that life expectancy decreased for 
each
additional chronic illness a person
had, ranging from almost six months for the first chronic illness to around
2.5 years for the sixth condition.
The cost of chronic illness
Chronic illness imposes not only physical and mental burdens but also a
financial one. The vast majority of health care spending in the U.S. is on
treating chronic illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 90% of the country’s $3.5 trillion in annual health care
spending is on chronic and mental health conditions.

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Take diabetes, for example. Type 2 diabetes is a common chronic condition
in the U.S. and accounts for the vast majority of diabetes cases. It happens
when your body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin and doesn’t
process blood sugar the way it should. In 2017, nearly 10% of American
adults had a diagnosis of diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes can be easy to ignore, especially in the early stages when
you’re feeling fine. Although the disease process is slow, it’s insidious.
Eventually, diabetes can have many complications. It can dramatically
increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and
narrowed blood vessels. It can cause loss of feeling in your toes and fingers.
It can cause kidney failure and glaucoma. It can make you more susceptible
to skin infections, and it may even increase your risk of Alzheimer’s
disease.
Diabetes is one of the most expensive chronic illnesses in America. The
average cost per year for a person with diabetes in 2017 was close to
$10,000. This includes direct costs, such as insulin, medications, doctor
visits, home health care and hospital care. It doesn’t include indirect costs
such as missing work, not being able to perform as well on the job or not
working at all. And it doesn’t include the costs in terms of pain,
dissatisfaction and decreased quality of life.
What are two of the biggest factors that put you at risk of type 2 diabetes?
Weight and physical inactivity — factors closely linked to daily habits.

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