Life Expectancy News and Research

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Life expectancy is the expected (in the statistical sense) number of years of life remaining at a given age. It is denoted by e''x'', which means the average number of subsequent years of life for someone now aged ''x'', according to a particular mortality experience.

Russia launches five-year, $2.9 billion plan to combat diseases

The Russian government has approved a five-year, $2.9 billion draft program to combat diseases, including HIV/AIDS, in an effort to improve the country's life expectancy, a spokesperson announced on Thursday, the AP/Guardian reports (AP/Guardian, 2/23).

27 Feb 2007

Avastin slows growth of gliomas

Avastin, a relatively new type of drug that shrinks cancerous tumors by cutting off their blood supply, can slow the growth of the most common and deadly form of brain cancer, a pilot study conducted at Duke University Medical Center has found.

20 Feb 2007

Number of Parkinson's sufferers will double in next 25 years

The study highlights the significant challenge facing countries with rapidly growing economies, particularly in Asia, many of which are ill prepared to meet this impending public health threat.

29 Jan 2007

One-fifth of women in India experience menopause by age 41

About one in five women residing in India are likely to experience menopause by the age of 41, according to a study conducted by Bangalore, India-based Institute for Social and Economic Change, London's Times reports.

28 Jan 2007

Antiretroviral resistance testing in HIV infected patients improves health and saves costs

In a newly published study Swiss researchers document that antiretroviral resistance testing in HIV infected patients with treatment failure not only leads to better health but also saves costs to society.

25 Jan 2007

European network launched to aid muscle disease patients

Some of the world's leading doctors and scientists will join together in a multi-million pound international network aimed at improving treatment and finding cures for thousands of patients with debilitating neuromuscular diseases.

2 Dec 2006

Report finds most programs ineffective for indigenous Australian children

The largest survey ever undertaken of Aboriginal children and families has thrown new light on why most existing intervention programs are failing to produce results needed for overcoming the present levels of Indigenous disadvantage.

23 Nov 2006

Global AIDS epidemic continues to grow

The global AIDS epidemic continues to grow and there is concerning evidence that some countries are seeing a resurgence in new HIV infection rates which were previously stable or declining. However, declines in infection rates are also being observed in some countries, as well as positive trends in young people's sexual behaviours.

21 Nov 2006

Structured exercise may enhance seniors' physical functioning

A structured exercise program may boost the physical well-being of sedentary seniors who are at risk of losing independent functioning, a new study to be published in the November 2006 Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences has found.

19 Nov 2006

One in ten Americans endure pain which lasts for a year or more

According to the latest government statistics 1 in 10 of American adults endure pain which lasts for a year or more.

16 Nov 2006

When it comes to economic prosperity, obesity is as damaging as malnutrition

According to a World Bank expert, obesity could damage economic output as severely as malnutrition in the poorest countries.

16 Nov 2006

New cancer treatments use body's own immune system to kill melanoma tumours

Scientists are claiming that the body's own immune system could be used to fight the most serious form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma.

13 Nov 2006

The lifetime cost of current HIV care in the United States

"The Lifetime Cost of Current HIV Care in the United States," a major study appearing in the November 2006 issue of Medical Care, projects the cost of treatment for HIV-infected adults using current standards of care.

1 Nov 2006

Identifying breast cancer patients most likely to benefit from Aromatase Inhibitor Therapy after adjuvant radiation and Tamoxifen

While some breast cancer survivors could benefit from adding aromatase inhibitors to the standard five years of tamoxifen, a new study shows the additional therapy should be weighed carefully for each individual.

23 Oct 2006

Columnist explores reasons for discrepancy in U.S., foreign health spending, related life expectancies

The answer to why many countries spend less on health care than the U.S. and have higher life expectancies is "fantastically complicated -- but also fantastically important," New York Times columnist David Leonhardt writes.

19 Oct 2006

HIV prevalence in Botswana is 17.1%, President Mogae says

HIV prevalence in Botswana is 17.1%, lower than figures previously reported by UNAIDS, Botswana President Festus Mogae said Monday, Xinhua/People's Daily reports.

19 Oct 2006

Elderly breast cancer patients often are underdiagnosed, undertreated

Elderly women often receive substandard breast cancer screenings and treatment and delayed diagnoses compared with younger patients, according to a study published in the October issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association's Archives of Surgery, the Wall Street Journal reports.

17 Oct 2006

Mediterranean diet shown to protect against Alzheimer's

A new study has added to the growing body of research which suggests that eating a Mediterranean diet can help to prevent Alzheimer's disease.

10 Oct 2006

U.S. still leader in medical innovation

The "American health care system may be performing better than it seems at first glance" because the U.S. "is the world leader" in medical innovations, which "improve health and life expectancy in all wealthy countries," Tyler Cowen, a professor of economics at George Mason University, writes in a New York Times opinion piece.

5 Oct 2006

World challenge to improve air quality

The World Health Organization (WHO) is today challenging governments around the world to improve air quality in their cities in order to protect people's health.

5 Oct 2006