Summary
A new American Medical Association study shows that Americans live with diseases for an average of 12.4 years, up from 10.9 years in 2000, marking a 29% higher gap than the global average.
Mental health, substance-use disorders, and musculoskeletal diseases are key contributors.
Women in the U.S. have a larger healthspan-lifespan gap than men, with 13.7 years spent sick compared to 11.1 years for men.
The study reflects a global trend of people living longer but spending more years burdened by disease, with the U.S. leading other high-income nations in this gap.
Don’t worry, if RFK Jr has his way in the next administration, we won’t be “living” with the diseases anymore, they will just be killing us off instead.