Is life expectancy changing?
Life-expectancy (average lifespan) of women in England andWales in 1900 was 50.1years. It follows that more than half the female population never reached their menopause. By 1950, life-expectancy had risen to 71.1years and in 1990 it reached 79.2 years. This 60% increase in life-expectancy through the twentieth century is typical throughout the industrialised countries. These life-expectancy figures are calculated from birth. A woman currently aged 60 has a life expectancy of a further 22.6 years (Figure 26.1). Nowadays, most women are destined to spend more than a third of their lives beyond the menopause. We now have 10 million postmenopausal women in theUnited Kingdom .
A recent television advertisement promoting pensions made the following observation. “In 1954, the queen sent her congratulations to 300 people on reaching the age of one hundred. Last year there were three thousand and by the year 2034 there will be many thousands". To quote our national anthem, “Long live the Queen".
The following table shows the improved life expectancy in the USA:
| All races | White | Black or African American1 | |||||||
| Specified age and year | Both sexes | Male | Female | Both sexes | Male | Female | Both sexes | Male | Female |
| At birth | Remaining life expectancy in years | ||||||||
| 19002,3 | 47.3 | 46.3 | 48.3 | 47.6 | 46.6 | 48.7 | 33.0 | 32.5 | 33.5 |
| 19503 | 68.2 | 65.6 | 71.1 | 69.1 | 66.5 | 72.2 | 60.8 | 59.1 | 62.9 |
| 19603 | 69.7 | 66.6 | 73.1 | 70.6 | 67.4 | 74.1 | 63.6 | 61.1 | 66.3 |
| 1970 | 70.8 | 67.1 | 74.7 | 71.7 | 68.0 | 75.6 | 64.1 | 60.0 | 68.3 |
| 1980 | 73.7 | 70.0 | 77.4 | 74.4 | 70.7 | 78.1 | 68.1 | 63.8 | 72.5 |
| 1990 | 75.4 | 71.8 | 78.8 | 76.1 | 72.7 | 79.4 | 69.1 | 64.5 | 73.6 |
| 1995 | 75.8 | 72.5 | 78.9 | 76.5 | 73.4 | 79.6 | 69.6 | 65.2 | 73.9 |
| 1996 | 76.1 | 73.1 | 79.1 | 76.8 | 73.9 | 79.7 | 70.2 | 66.1 | 74.2 |
| 1997 | 76.5 | 73.6 | 79.4 | 77.1 | 74.3 | 79.9 | 71.1 | 67.2 | 74.7 |
| 1998 | 76.7 | 73.8 | 79.5 | 77.3 | 74.5 | 80.0 | 71.3 | 67.6 | 74.8 |
| 1999 | 76.7 | 73.9 | 79.4 | 77.3 | 74.6 | 79.9 | 71.4 | 67.8 | 74.7 |
| 2000 | 77.0 | 74.3 | 79.7 | 77.6 | 74.9 | 80.1 | 71.9 | 68.3 | 75.2 |
| 2001 | 77.2 | 74.4 | 79.8 | 77.7 | 75.0 | 80.2 | 72.2 | 68.6 | 75.5 |
| 2002 | 77.3 | 74.5 | 79.9 | 77.7 | 75.1 | 80.3 | 72.3 | 68.8 | 75.6 |
| 2003 | 77.5 | 74.8 | 80.1 | 78.0 | 75.3 | 80.5 | 72.7 | 69.0 | 76.1 |
| At 65 years | |||||||||
| 19503 | 13.9 | 12.8 | 15.0 | - - - | 12.8 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.9 | 14.9 |
| 19603 | 14.3 | 12.8 | 15.8 | 14.4 | 12.9 | 15.9 | 13.9 | 12.7 | 15.1 |
| 1970 | 15.2 | 13.1 | 17.0 | 15.2 | 13.1 | 17.1 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 15.7 |
| 1980 | 16.4 | 14.1 | 18.3 | 16.5 | 14.2 | 18.4 | 15.1 | 13.0 | 16.8 |
| 1990 | 17.2 | 15.1 | 18.9 | 17.3 | 15.2 | 19.1 | 15.4 | 13.2 | 17.2 |
| 1995 | 17.4 | 15.6 | 18.9 | 17.6 | 15.7 | 19.1 | 15.6 | 13.6 | 17.1 |
| 1996 | 17.5 | 15.7 | 19.0 | 17.6 | 15.8 | 19.1 | 15.8 | 13.9 | 17.2 |
| 1997 | 17.7 | 15.9 | 19.2 | 17.8 | 16.0 | 19.3 | 16.1 | 14.2 | 17.6 |
| 1998 | 17.8 | 16.0 | 19.2 | 17.8 | 16.1 | 19.3 | 16.1 | 14.3 | 17.4 |
| 1999 | 17.7 | 16.1 | 19.1 | 17.8 | 16.1 | 19.2 | 16.0 | 14.3 | 17.3 |
| 2000 | 18.0 | 16.2 | 19.3 | 18.0 | 16.3 | 19.4 | 16.2 | 14.2 | 17.7 |
| 2001 | 18.1 | 16.4 | 19.4 | 18.2 | 16.5 | 19.5 | 16.4 | 14.4 | 17.9 |
| 2002 | 18.2 | 16.6 | 19.5 | 18.2 | 16.6 | 19.5 | 16.6 | 14.6 | 18.0 |
| 2003 | 18.4 | 16.8 | 19.8 | 18.5 | 16.9 | 19.8 | 17.0 | 14.9 | 18.5 |
| At 75 years | |||||||||
| 1980 | 10.4 | 8.8 | 11.5 | 10.4 | 8.8 | 11.5 | 9.7 | 8.3 | 10.7 |
| 1990 | 10.9 | 9.4 | 12.0 | 11.0 | 9.4 | 12.0 | 10.2 | 8.6 | 11.2 |
| 1995 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 11.9 | 11.1 | 9.7 | 12.0 | 10.2 | 8.8 | 11.1 |
| 1996 | 11.1 | 9.8 | 12.0 | 11.1 | 9.8 | 12.0 | 10.3 | 9.0 | 11.2 |
| 1997 | 11.2 | 9.9 | 12.1 | 11.2 | 9.9 | 12.1 | 10.7 | 9.3 | 11.5 |
| 1998 | 11.3 | 10.0 | 12.2 | 11.3 | 10.0 | 12.2 | 10.5 | 9.2 | 11.3 |
| 1999 | 11.2 | 10.0 | 12.1 | 11.2 | 10.0 | 12.1 | 10.4 | 9.2 | 11.1 |
| 2000 | 11.4 | 10.1 | 12.3 | 11.4 | 10.1 | 12.3 | 10.7 | 9.2 | 11.6 |
| 2001 | 11.5 | 10.2 | 12.4 | 11.5 | 10.2 | 12.3 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 11.7 |
| 2002 | 11.5 | 10.3 | 12.4 | 11.5 | 10.3 | 12.3 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 11.7 |
| 2003 | 11.8 | 10.5 | 12.6 | 11.7 | 10.5 | 12.6 | 11.4 | 9.8 | 12.4 |
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.rid=healthus05. Table.375)
Related Medical Abstracts - Click on the paper title:-
- Office for National Statistics and Government Actuary's Department (2006-01)
- Changes in life expectancy 1900-1990 (1992)
Life expectancy at birth has risen in all industrialized countries during the last 100 years, but mortality improvements by gender and region often have proceeded at very different rates. Although some countries have experienced increases in overall mortality during recent decades, the levels of life expectancy gains in countries such as Japan have confounded demographic predictions and have led to renewed research and debate over future mortality decline and the limits to human life. This paper reviews levels of and changes in life expectancy at birth and at older ages in industrialized countries during the 20th century. Trends in mortality and morbidity at older ages are summarized in the context of the historic epidemiological disease transition from infectious to chronic. Cause-specific and active/inactive decompositions of life expectancy are examined, as are initial attempts to correlate life expectancy with physical attributes that may reflect differential nutritional status.
Please click on the required question.
- 1 What will happen to me at my menopause?
- 2 Why does nature put women through the menopause?
- 3 Is life-expectancy changing?
- 4 What happens to my reproductive hormones at the menopause?
- 5 What non-hormonal changes occur at the menopause?
- 6 What problems might I have as a result of my menopause?
- 7 When am I likely to reach my menopause?
- 8 What is a premature menopause?
- 9 What are hot flushes and will HRT reduce them?
- 10 What causes hot flushes and night sweats?
- 11 Can my bladder problems be related to the menopause?
- 12 Can the menopause be associated with psychological problems.
- 13 How long can my menopausal (climacteric) symptoms last?
- 14 Is there a test that will accurately determine when my menopause has occurred?
- 15 Is it normal to experience heavy periods before the menopause?
- 16 How are heavy periods around the time of the menopause treated?
- 17 Is there a need to investigate vaginal bleeding after the menopause (postmenopausal bleeding)?
- 18 What could be the cause of vaginal bleeding after the menopause?
- 19 What is atrophic vaginitis?
- 20 What local genital symptoms can be associated with the menopause?
- 21 I have gone through the menopause and now have some bleeding (postmenopausal bleeding PMB). What will my gynaecologist wish to do?
- 22 Could I have any other long-term medical problems resulting from my menopause?
- 23 What is coronary heart disease?
- 24 What is osteoporosis?
- 25 Where else can I obtain further information?
- 26 Could I have some recommended menopause support groups.
Thank you for choosing to visit us.
This is the personal website of David A Viniker MD FRCOG, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Whipps Cross University Hospital, London - Specialist Interests - Reproductive Medicine including Infertility, PCOS, PMS, Menopause and HRT.
I do hope that you find the answers to your women's health questions in the patient information and medical advice provided.
