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When we are young, we think any age other than what we are is old. As we get older, we start to realize what time and age actually mean and we begin to understand more about life expectancy.
We know that we cannot live forever, but we can get an idea on how long we will live through life expectancy calculators.
What is the Life Expectancy Today?
Life expectancy looks at the overall mortality level of a population. It varies based on where people live but in 2016, the average life expectancy was 72 years of age. That number comes from the difference between men and women, since women tend to live longer. Women average 74.2 years of age whereas men live to 69.8.
Life expectancy has been increasing thanks in part to improvements in child survival rates as well as medications and treatment for various health ailments.
What Country Has the Highest Life Expectancy?
The country with the best life expectancy in the world is Hong Kong at an average of 85.29 years of age. From that, women average 88.17 years of age and men average 82.38 years of age. Japan is next at an average of 85. Switzerland is the first European country with an average of 84.25 years of age.
What Country Has the Lowest Life Expectancy?
The country with the lowest life expectancy is the Central African Republic, located in the middle of Africa. Here the average life expectancy is only 54.36 years of age. Women there on average live to 56.58 and men average 52.16 years of age.
How Do You Calculate Life Expectancy?
Estimated life expectancy is calculated by looking at the average length of life of a group of individuals, sometimes referred to as a cohort, who were born in a particular year. The exact date that each one of them died is then calculated to determine the average number of all members in that particular group.
This way makes more sense when looking at the past because it isn’t easy to know this before all members of that particular cohort died. This is why statisticians use a combination of observed mortality rates for past years as well as projections about mortality rates for the future.
Another way to calculate life expectancy is to use a hypothetical cohort in a way known as “period life expectancy.” This method is more commonly used and looks at a mortality pattern at a particular time, usually a certain year.
It is important to note that these are usually just estimates. Some people die before life expectancy and others pass after that.
How is Life Expectancy Calculated at Birth?
Life expectancy is commonly studied at birth using current factors and assuming those factors remain constant to determine an average life expectancy age. So when it’s noted that a newborn has a life expectancy age of 75, it’s assumed that mortality patterns at that time will stay the same.
The Wharton Life Expectancy Calculator was developed by Dean Foster, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. This calculator uses a statistical analysis of NIH-AARP data. It is also known as the Blueprint Income life expectancy calculator.
By putting in some basic information such as age, height, weight, education, whether or not you work, fitness levels and lifestyle information, you get a specific breakdown of what your particular life expectancy is.
What Is The Best Life Expectancy Calculator?
What is the most accurate life expectancy calculator? There are many different life expectancy calculators available and with the Internet, most are easily accessible. Most include questions about lifestyle and any medical conditions.Besides the Wharton Life Expectancy Calculator (AKA the Blueprint Income Calculator), here are some other interesting lifespan expectancy calculators to look into.
- Livingto100 - a very detailed calculator asking about 50 questions to get a more personalized life expectancy estimate
- Big Life - This one looks at physical activity as well as fruit and vegetable consumption.
- John Hancock Life Expectancy Calculator is a life expectancy calculator based on health and asks for even more specific medical information like cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
There are life expectancy calculators out there for people with specific medical conditions like heart disease and ones that take into consideration stroke risk or breast cancer risk assessments. Most of these are intended to be used by medical professionals, but are still very relevant.
What Affects Life Expectancy?
Just because we live in a certain country that has a particular average life expectancy or use a life expectancy calculator, it doesn’t mean it’s written in stone. Our lifestyle choices affect our life expectancy. It can also be affected by:
Genetics
Our genetics play a role in 9 of the ten top causes of death in the United States, which are:
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Chronic lower respiratory disease
- Accidents
- Stroke or cerebrovascular disease
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Diabetes
- Influenza or pneumonia
- Kidney disease
Prenatal And Childhood Conditions
Conditions in utero, birth and early childhood affect mortality rates even at advanced ages.
Education
Higher education levels are linked to higher socio-economic status and both are linked to higher longevity. This is also because higher education levels have been associated with lower levels of obesity and tobacco use which can affect how long a person lives.
Socio-Economic Status
A person’s socio-economic status can affect their ability to get needed medical care and how much they participate in healthier life choices like exercise, not smoking and having access to better quality food.
Marital Status
Married people or those in committed relationships have improved cardiac health and don’t feel as lonely which has an impact on a person’s mental health and longevity.
Lifestyle
One of the biggest factors is our lifestyle choices. Even if our genetics show we are more likely to have certain medical conditions, we can make choices to lead a healthier life. This includes:
- A healthy diet
- Exercise
- Not smoking
- Drinking only in moderation
- Avoiding risky behaviors
- Motor vehicle safety
- Workplace safety
Medical Advancements
Medicine and medical technology advancements have increased longevity. This is also through immunizations, vaccinations as well as improvements in medical treatment of issues like cardiac care.
What Are These Metrics Used For?
Life expectancy metrics are used to estimate how long people live for. It is also calculated for plants and animals. For people it takes into consideration year of birth, current age and other demographic factors. It is one way to measure a population’s health while reflecting the mortality level of a population.
Why Is Life Expectancy Important?
As previously mentioned, looking at life expectancy measurements determines the overall health of a particular population. Since we live in a more industrialized world, understanding how long people will live allows planning and provision for certain services and support.
Small increases in life expectancy means large increases in the population. When people live longer, chronic illnesses tend to increase because they are more common with an older population.
Supplements That Can Help Longevity
Our body is made up of cells that can become damaged overtime which can affect our longevity. Fortunately, our body has a natural way to recycle those damaged cells through a process called autophagy. Spermidine is a polyamine that assists the body’s autophagy process and cellular renewal.
Old, damaged cells are recycled to make way for new and healthier ones. Healthy cells operate at the highest efficiency possible which can help people to stay healthy. We can get spermidine from the foods we eat but as we age our bodies typically need more than what we take in, which is why spermidine as a supplement can help.
