International Longevity Issues
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概要
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Our capacity to develop successful products in our industry requires an accurate knowledge of life expectancy and the determinants of longevity. Future mortality projections incorporate estimates of disease incidence rates and likely changes in rates including the influence of the increased use of sensitive screening techniques. Medical advances which will modify disease outcomes need also to be considered. Underwriting has become a complicated process with a need to underwrite diverse population groups with differing disease risk and prevalence. Migration patterns both within countries and between countries influence and skew population projections. A knowledge of disease risk and prevalence in different ethnic groups and geographical regions is therefore important. There is also a need to recognise the potential for climate change and diminishing natural resources to alter mortality patterns. These issues are occurring on a background of life style changes which are promoting obesity in developed and developing populations. Obesity, lack of exercise, changing food consumption patterns and mass migration to cities from rural areas may alter disease prevalence in populations. Over the time that it has taken for the world's population to reach the current level of 6.5 billion there has been a steady increase in life expectancy. Longevity has increased as a consequence of better nutrition, reduced infection risk, improved sanitation and other public health measures along with an understanding of disease prevention and improvements in life extending therapies. These advances have not only vastly improved infant mortality rates but have also extended life expectancies at the older ages. Improvements in medical treatments have allowed people with illness to survive longer. This increases the length of time with which people may live with disability. Longevity is determined by our genetic makeup and ethnicity, endemic disease exposure, our capacity to survive the neonatal period, the provision of food, sanitation and clean water, the environment in which we live and the personal habits we adoptAccess to health care, education, affluence, our socioeconomic group, the distribution of the health dollar and the allocation of health resources also influence longevity and disease outcomes. Increases in life expectancy have not been uniform throughout the world and major differences still exist from country to country. Life expectancy improvements have also fluctuated as a consequence of pandemics and war. Those with the shortest life expectancy currently live where civilisation began in sub Saharan Africa. In these countries much early mortality is a consequence of curable and preventable infectious disease and malnutrition. The leading causes of death worldwide are infectious disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Deaths from infectious disease and cardiovascular disease vary country by country. Infectious disease remains responsible for 25% of deaths globally but is much higher in underdeveloped and under resourced countries. In countries where infectious disease mortality has been overcome cardiovascular disease becomes the major variable for mortality risk.
- 2011-03-17