Longer lives, worse health? Scientists uncover troubling trend across generations

People across the world are living longer, but they’re also spending more years coping with ill health, a recent study observed.

The “morbidity gap” — the number of years people spend in poor health, typically struggling with chronic challenges such as low back pain, hearing loss and depression — widened across 203 of 204 countries analyzed, and was the most pronounced in America, the researchers found.

“Globally in 2023, an average of 14·5% of life was spent in poor health, compared to 13·6% in 1990,” the researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington reported.

“Ultimately, I believe the next frontier of medicine is not simply adding years to life, but adding life to years,” he said. “First, we need to focus on preserving function rather than simply reacting to disease.”

The approach involves routinely assessing mobility, muscle strength, balance, hearing, cognition and overall physical resilience. Chu said this may prove just as important as monitoring blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose.

“Functional decline often begins years before disability becomes obvious, providing an opportunity for earlier intervention,” he said.

Musculoskeletal health also deserves much greater emphasis, Chu said.

“Progressive resistance training, fall prevention, maintenance of muscle mass and early treatment of chronic back pain should become core components of preventive medicine rather than afterthoughts,” he said. “Preserving mobility may ultimately have as much impact on healthy aging as preventing heart disease.”

Mental health and social connection are another vital component to healthspan, Chu said.

“Hearing loss, depression, anxiety and loneliness frequently reinforce one another, accelerating physical decline while diminishing quality of life,” he said. “Addressing these conditions early may improve both longevity and independence.”

Chu, who is the child of immigrants, said it’s his belief that Americans often overlook an important cultural dimension of healthy aging.

“In many societies outside the United States, older adults continue to play an active and respected role within multigenerational families,” he said. “They remain mentors, caregivers, historians and sources of wisdom. This continued sense of purpose and belonging may provide meaningful protection against loneliness, depression and loss of identity.”

“By contrast, many older Americans experience increasing social isolation precisely when maintaining meaningful relationships may be most important,” Chu added. “Healthy aging is not determined solely by biology; it is also shaped by community, purpose and human connection.”