They say health is wealth. Do they go hand in hand? A new study looked into the link between wealth and health. While the study made a shocking revelation on the association between health and wealth, it also showed that even the wealthiest Americans face shorter lifespans compared to their European counterparts.
A new study by Brown University School of Public Health researchers found stark disparities in survival rates across all wealth levels. The study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 73,000 adults between the ages of 50 and 85 in the U.S. and various European regions to understand how wealth affects a person’s chances of dying. The study found that people with more wealth tend to live longer than those with less wealth, especially in the U.S., where the gap between the rich and poor is much larger than in Europe. The study also showed that over 10 years, Americans aged between 50 to 85 were more likely to die than Europeans at every rung of the wealth ladder. Wealthiest Americans have shorter lifespans on average than the wealthiest Europeans; in some cases, the wealthiest Americans have survival rates on par with the poorest Europeans in western parts of Europe such as Germany, France and the Netherlands.
Study author Irene Papanicolas, a professor of health services, policy and practice at Brown, noted that, in recent years, life expectancy has been declining in the US. The recently study also provided more insight in to life expectancy across demographics in the U.S. compared to different parts of Europe.
"The findings are a stark reminder that even the wealthiest Americans are not shielded from the systemic issues in the US contributing to lower life expectancy, such as economic inequality or risk factors like stress, diet or environmental hazards,” Papanicolas, who directs the School of Public Health’s Center for Health System Sustainability said. “If we want to improve health in the U.S., we need to better understand the underlying factors that contribute to these differences, particularly amongst similar socioeconomic groups — and why they translate to different health outcomes across nations.”
The elites had a death rate that is 40% lower than for the poorest. Europeans died at rates approximately 40% lower than participants in the US throughout the study period. During the study period, participants from Southern Europe had estimated death rates around 30% lower than US participants, while participants from Eastern Europe have estimated death rates 13% to 20% lower.
“We found that where you stand in your country’s wealth distribution matters for your longevity, and where you stand in your country compared to where others stand in theirs matters, too. Fixing health outcomes is not just a challenge for the most vulnerable — even those in the top quartile of wealth are affected,” study author Sara Machado, a research scientist at Brown’s Center for Health System Sustainability added.
The study pointed out how weaker social safety nets and structural disparities in the US may contribute to poorer survival rates across all wealth groups. Systemic cultural and behavioral factors, such as diet, smoking, and social mobility, may also play a role in this.
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The researchers also emphasized a “survivor effect” in the U.S., where poorer individuals with worse health outcomes were more likely to die earlier, leaving behind a population that is healthier and wealthier as age groups progress. The study said that this ratio creates an illusion that wealth inequality decreases over time when in reality it’s partly due to the early deaths of the poorest Americans.
“Our previous work has shown that while wealth inequality narrows after 65 across the U.S. and Europe, in the U.S. it narrows because the poorest Americans die sooner and in greater proportion,” Papanicolas said.
The study calls for broader policy action beyond healthcare fixes and urges the Americans to learn from Europe’s better outcomes. “If you look at other countries, there are better outcomes, and that means we can learn from them and improve. It’s not necessarily about spending more, it’s about addressing the factors we’re overlooking, which could deliver far greater benefits than we realize,” Machado said.
A new study by Brown University School of Public Health researchers found stark disparities in survival rates across all wealth levels. The study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 73,000 adults between the ages of 50 and 85 in the U.S. and various European regions to understand how wealth affects a person’s chances of dying. The study found that people with more wealth tend to live longer than those with less wealth, especially in the U.S., where the gap between the rich and poor is much larger than in Europe. The study also showed that over 10 years, Americans aged between 50 to 85 were more likely to die than Europeans at every rung of the wealth ladder. Wealthiest Americans have shorter lifespans on average than the wealthiest Europeans; in some cases, the wealthiest Americans have survival rates on par with the poorest Europeans in western parts of Europe such as Germany, France and the Netherlands.
Study author Irene Papanicolas, a professor of health services, policy and practice at Brown, noted that, in recent years, life expectancy has been declining in the US. The recently study also provided more insight in to life expectancy across demographics in the U.S. compared to different parts of Europe.
"The findings are a stark reminder that even the wealthiest Americans are not shielded from the systemic issues in the US contributing to lower life expectancy, such as economic inequality or risk factors like stress, diet or environmental hazards,” Papanicolas, who directs the School of Public Health’s Center for Health System Sustainability said. “If we want to improve health in the U.S., we need to better understand the underlying factors that contribute to these differences, particularly amongst similar socioeconomic groups — and why they translate to different health outcomes across nations.”
The elites had a death rate that is 40% lower than for the poorest. Europeans died at rates approximately 40% lower than participants in the US throughout the study period. During the study period, participants from Southern Europe had estimated death rates around 30% lower than US participants, while participants from Eastern Europe have estimated death rates 13% to 20% lower.
“We found that where you stand in your country’s wealth distribution matters for your longevity, and where you stand in your country compared to where others stand in theirs matters, too. Fixing health outcomes is not just a challenge for the most vulnerable — even those in the top quartile of wealth are affected,” study author Sara Machado, a research scientist at Brown’s Center for Health System Sustainability added.
The study pointed out how weaker social safety nets and structural disparities in the US may contribute to poorer survival rates across all wealth groups. Systemic cultural and behavioral factors, such as diet, smoking, and social mobility, may also play a role in this.
Video
The researchers also emphasized a “survivor effect” in the U.S., where poorer individuals with worse health outcomes were more likely to die earlier, leaving behind a population that is healthier and wealthier as age groups progress. The study said that this ratio creates an illusion that wealth inequality decreases over time when in reality it’s partly due to the early deaths of the poorest Americans.
“Our previous work has shown that while wealth inequality narrows after 65 across the U.S. and Europe, in the U.S. it narrows because the poorest Americans die sooner and in greater proportion,” Papanicolas said.
The study calls for broader policy action beyond healthcare fixes and urges the Americans to learn from Europe’s better outcomes. “If you look at other countries, there are better outcomes, and that means we can learn from them and improve. It’s not necessarily about spending more, it’s about addressing the factors we’re overlooking, which could deliver far greater benefits than we realize,” Machado said.
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