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.

Localisation of policies crucial to China's health reforms, new studies suggest

Two new studies, published in The Lancet, reveal for the first time how health in different regions of China has changed in recent decades. The articles analyse life expectancy, causes of death, and child mortality for 31 provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions of China, and Hongkong and Macao special administrative regions, finding that in the last two decades, life expectancy has risen, and deaths in children under 5 years have fallen, in every province.

26 Oct 2015

Chronic diseases increased dramatically among poorest households in Bangladesh, suggests new research

The number of people in Bangladesh dying from chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and hypertension—long considered diseases of the wealthy because the poor didn't tend to live long enough to develop them—increased dramatically among the nation's poorest households over a 24-year period, suggests new research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

23 Oct 2015

Findings suggest a potential "early warning" detection system for Alzheimer's disease

The findings suggest a potential "early warning" detection system for Alzheimer's disease, even in young and asymptomatic individuals.

23 Oct 2015

American Cancer Society updates mammogram guidelines

The American Cancer Society has issued new recommendations on when women should get mammograms and how frequently they should get them. This is in contrast to the previous guidelines which stated that women should get them at age 40.

22 Oct 2015

Patient-physician communication can help determine true life expectancy of older adults

Health care providers must have detailed discussions with their older adult patients to better determine their true life expectancy, as older adults do not accurately predict their own prognosis, a key factor in making decisions about future health interventions, according to researchers at UC San Francisco and San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

20 Oct 2015

Rutgers School of Nursing takes lead in $6 million nationwide effort to prevent new HIV infections

Rutgers School of Nursing is taking the lead in a $6 million nationwide effort to greatly reduce new HIV infections - a battle complicated by both the aging of career HIV health care professionals and a failure to engage all people living with HIV into treatment.

19 Oct 2015

Study reveals high rates of preventable cancers in Indigenous peoples of high-income countries

Research published in The Lancet Oncology, led by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) on the scale and profile of cancer in indigenous peoples of the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand has revealed high rates of often preventable cancers including lung and cervical cancer, emphasising the need for targeted prevention strategies in these populations.

16 Oct 2015

New hope for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

New hope for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients. A mouse genetic study in PLoS Medicine reports that targeting the P2RX7 gene, a purinoreceptor, may halt the progression of DMD.

14 Oct 2015

Cost effectiveness, health benefits of implementing rebate program for low-income households

Providing low-income households that receive federal food assistance benefits with financial incentives to buy fruits and vegetables would encourage them to purchase and consume more healthy food, and slightly increase their longevity, a new study suggests.

6 Oct 2015

Novel portable device counts white blood cells in real time

A novel way to count white blood cells without a blood test, simply by applying a small device on the fingertip, is being developed by a team of young bioengineers. The technology, that combines an optical sensor with algorithms, has already three prototypes on the go and is specially designed to be used on chemotherapy patients, who could know their immune system levels in real time. It could also serve to detect serious infections.

30 Sep 2015

New report implicates five genetic regions that play major roles in CF disease severity

If you have two faulty copies of the CFTR gene, you will have cystic fibrosis. But the severity of your disease will depend on environmental factors and many other genes. Locating these genes and altering their function could lead to new therapies.

29 Sep 2015

The Center for Bariatric Surgery receives MBSAQIP accreditation for safe, high-quality bariatric patient care

The Center for Bariatric Surgery has earned certification for adult and teen weight loss surgery under the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) which sets standards for safe, high-quality bariatric patient care.

29 Sep 2015

ADHD children and their mothers more likely to have shorter telomeres, say Brazilian scientists

Psychiatric disorders like Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) impact family's emotions and social life. It is well known. What is new is that this condition also affects the DNA of patients and their parents.

28 Sep 2015

Clinical trial data from Array BioPharma's binimetinib and encorafenib presented at ECC 2015

Clinical trial results from Array BioPharma's wholly-owned MEK inhibitor, binimetinib, and BRAF inhibitor, encorafenib, were presented this weekend at the European Society of Medical Oncology's annual European Cancer Conference (ECC). At the meeting, preliminary data were shared from both a Phase 2 combination trial of binimetinib and encorafenib in BRAF-mutant melanoma patients (LOGIC2) and a Phase 1b/2 combination trial of binimetinib and ribociclib (Novartis, LEE011), a CDK4/6 inhibitor in NRAS-mutant melanoma patients.

28 Sep 2015

New partnership aims to support countries in improving performance of primary health care

Underscoring the urgent need to transform how essential health care is delivered in low- and middle-income countries, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, World Bank Group and World Health Organization today are launching a new partnership to support countries in improving the performance of primary health care.

26 Sep 2015

Certain laboratory results can help to predict survival in patients with brain metastases

A new MedUni Vienna study conducted in the Comprehensive Cancer Centre (CCC) Vienna shows that certain laboratory results, which have previously not been used specifically for this purpose, can help to predict survival in patients with newly diagnosed brain metastases and to decide on the most appropriate treatment strategy.

26 Sep 2015

Amgen gets positive CHMP opinions for Kyprolis (carfilzomib) and BLINCYTO (blinatumomab)

"We are pleased to receive positive CHMP opinions for Kyprolis and BLINCYTO as this is an important step in providing new treatment options for patients in Europe with rare forms of cancer," said Sean E. Harper, M.D., executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen.

25 Sep 2015

Study reveals measures that could be implemented to improve air quality, fight climate change

Ozone, methane and aerosols (tiny pollutant particles) remain in the atmosphere for a shorter time than CO2, but can affect both the climate and air quality.

25 Sep 2015

Researchers extend innovative research towards a cure for type I diabetes

Associate Professor Shane Grey, of Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research, together with collaborators from the Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research and the Children's Hospital at Westmead, have been awarded $3.3 million to extend their innovative research towards a cure for type I diabetes.

23 Sep 2015

Women’s life expectancy in eastern and western Germany continues to increase, shows study

Twenty-five years after reunification, the once considerable differences between life expectancy in eastern and western Germany have almost disappeared for women.