When it comes to tackling chronic disease, the United States is lagging behind its peers. A new study published in The Lancet reveals that among 25 high-income Western countries, the US has shown the slowest progress in reducing deaths from noncommunicable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.The research, led by Imperial College London, analyzed mortality data from 185 countries between 2010 and 2019. While most nations reported overall declines in the probability of dying before age 80 from chronic disease, the US not only saw smaller reductions compared with other wealthy countries but also a troubling rise in deaths among younger adults aged 20 to 45.The data show that between 2010 and 2019, deaths from chronic disease decreased in most US age groups but increased among young adults, a rare and alarming trend for a high-income country. Researchers describe this as “a rare phenomenon in high-income Western countries,” suggesting that the problem is systemic, not just demographic.Majid Ezzati, the study’s senior author and professor of global health at Imperial, explained that while older Americans benefited from improved treatments and detection for heart disease and cancer, younger generations faced new and worsening risks including obesity, alcohol use disorders, and neuropsychiatric conditions like dementia.The global picture provides a stark contrast. Roughly 80 percent of countries saw reductions in chronic disease mortality during the past decade, covering more than 70 percent of the world’s population. Denmark led the high-income group with the steepest decline, followed closely by Norway and Finland. Germany performed poorly as well, showing only slightly better results than the US.While all high-income countries experienced a slowdown in the rate of decline compared to earlier decades, the United States stood out for its stagnation in working-age adults and actual increases in younger adults. Other countries managed to balance slower declines in older age groups with sharper improvements in working-age populations, but the US did not.Why Is the US Falling Behind in Mortality?The study did not dive into root causes, but experts point to a combination of health system and social factors:Healthcare access and disparities: Millions of Americans lack consistent primary care, delaying diagnosis and treatment of chronic conditions. Without a physician close to home, routine screenings often fall through the cracks.Social determinants of health: Income inequality, food insecurity, and limited access to healthy lifestyles all disproportionately affect younger and working-age adults.Rise in neuropsychiatric conditions: While cancer and heart disease deaths declined, increases in dementia, alcohol use disorders, and mental health-related conditions offset gains.Obesity and lifestyle factors: Rising rates of obesity, poor diets, and sedentary behavior have made chronic diseases harder to control, particularly among younger people.Ezzati emphasized that underinvestment in public health is a common denominator. “In both the US and Germany, there are segments of the population in which there has been less investment in public health, and these disparities in investment can lead to broad barriers to accessing care,” he said.Is This A Global Slowdown, Not Just an American Problem?The US may be the slowest among wealthy nations, but it is not alone in struggling. Nearly two-thirds of all countries saw slower progress in reducing chronic disease mortality during 2010–2019 compared with the previous decade.In northern Europe, for example, Denmark and Finland reported slower improvements among older adults, but these were offset by faster progress among working-age adults. That balance prevented them from stagnating as the US did.Globally, the slowdown raises concerns about whether countries will meet the UN Sustainable Development Goal of reducing premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases by one-third by 2030.So what sets top performers like Denmark apart? Researchers credit strong investment in preventive health, early detection, and broad access to primary care. Comprehensive strategies for cardiovascular disease prevention, aggressive anti-smoking campaigns, and early cancer screening programs have made a measurable impact.By contrast, the US has struggled to implement nationwide preventive programs. Even when effective interventions exist — like lifestyle counseling, preventive screenings, and access to affordable medications, barriers in insurance coverage, geography, and affordability keep many Americans from benefiting.Perhaps the most sobering aspect of the study is that progress is slowing not just in the US but worldwide. Improvements in diagnosis and treatment that once drove sharp declines in chronic disease deaths may be reaching their limits. Unless new strategies are adopted — especially those that reach disadvantaged populations — gains could stall entirely or even reverse.For the US, where chronic diseases already account for 6 in 10 deaths, the message is clear: without significant investment in prevention and equitable healthcare access, the gap with peer nations will only widen.Ezzati summed up the findings with a blunt warning, “The risk of dying from chronic diseases in most countries in the world is coming down. But we were doing better before.”
Email
Google
Facebook Email Google Facebook