Changing Risk Factors - an Analysis on Short Term Mortality

Manja Albrecht , University of Rostock
Roland Rau, University of Rostock

Ongoing medical advances and individual lifestyles have a lasting impact on mortality risk and life expectancy. Using data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), we examine how the risk of dying from selected pre-existing conditions and individual behaviors changed between 1997 and 2014. In addition to cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and cancer, we examined tobacco and alcohol use, physical activity, and body mass index as indicators of medical progress. The results show significant reductions in the relative risk of death for cancer, diabetes, and hypertension, and for men also significant reductions for heart disease. On the other hand, there was an increased relative risk for current smokers and, for women, also for former smokers. In summary, medical progress has made a significant contribution to reducing relative mortality risks, while individual lifestyles have had a counteracting effect.

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 Presented in Session 87. Mortality Trends and Risk Factors