THE ESSENTIAL
- Chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer, have increased significantly over the last century.
- Generations born after the war, aged between 50 and 70, are more likely to be affected by chronic pathology compared to their predecessors at the same age.
- “These worrying trends could lead younger generations to spend more years in poor health and live with disability,” the researchers said.
We now live longer, but are we really living healthier? Researchers from the University of Oxford and University College London (United Kingdom) looked into the question, and assessed the health of people aged 50, 60 and 70 compared to that of previous generations . Their work was published in the Journal of Gerontology.
A progression of chronic diseases over the last century
For the purposes of this research, the British teams analyzed the health data of more than 100,000 people between 2004 and 2018, which made it possible to cover several generations of people aged 50 and over. The subjects lived in Europe and the United States.
Rising rates of chronic disease were found, particularly when scientists compared people born between 1936 and 1945 and those born between 1955 and 1959. In all regions studied, adults born after World War II had more risks of suffering from cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes or lung pathologies compared to previous generations.
Baby boomers are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes or cancer
The study’s findings showed that diagnoses of cancer, heart problems and high cholesterol rose the most in England and the rest of Europe. In contrast, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes increased at the same rate in all regions. According to the researchers, baby boomers, or people born from 1945 to 1965, and people in their 50s were 1.5 times more likely to suffer from these problems than their predecessors at the same age.
Despite advances in medicine and awareness of healthy lifestyles, chronic diseases have increased significantly over the last century, and affect younger people compared to previous generations. “Our study provides worrying new evidence that generations born more recently see their health deteriorate as they age (…) If life expectancy remains stable or continues to increase, these Worrying trends could lead younger generations to spend more years in poor health and living with disability”alerted Laura Gimeno, main author of the work and doctoral student at the Center for Longitudinal Studies at University College London, in an interview with au Guardian.
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