LONDON (AP) — A new survey finds the gap widening between countries with the highest and lowest rates of premature death among adults.
A study published in the Lancet medical journal finds among 15 to 60-year-olds, men in Iceland and women in Cypress have the lowest risk of dying. The highest risks were found in Africa, where men in Swaziland and women in Zambia have the highest death rates.
Looking at a 40 year period from 1970 to 2010, researchers found death rates have fallen in sub-Saharan Africa, possibly due to the rollout of AIDS drugs. But rates have risen in eastern Europe, and they speculate that's because of widespread smoking and health systems falling apart after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
As for the U.S., one of the study's author's says it's "definitely on the wrong trajectory." Chris Murray of the Institute for Health Metrics at the University of Washington says while the U.S. spends the most on health care, it is "apparently spending on the wrong things."
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