Study: U.S. life expectancy varies widely by income, area

U.S. life expectancy increased 2.3 years for men and 2.9 years for women in the top 5% of income distribution between 2001 and 2014, but only 0.3 years for men and 0.04 years for women in the bottom 5% of income, according to a study published online today by the Journal of the American Medical Association. The gap in life expectancy between the richest 1% and poorest 1% of U.S. residents was 14.6 years for men and 10.1 years for women. Life expectancy also varied substantially across geographic areas, ranging from gains of more than four years to losses of more than two years across areas over the period. “The strong association between geographic variation in life expectancy and health behaviors suggests that policy interventions should focus on changing health behaviors among low-income individuals,” the authors said.