Recent research has uncovered concerning trends in life expectancy in the United States, highlighting growing disparities by income and geography.1,2 Three findings particularly stand out. First is the sheer magnitude of the differences observed: in 2014, life expectancy differed by 20 years between the US counties with the highest and lowest life expectancies.2 Second is the trend that in some US counties, life expectancy appears to be decreasing, an unprecedented finding that demands action. Third is the importance of local context: even among low-income individuals, life expectancy differs by more than 4 years depending on where people live.1
Billioux A, Conway PH, Alley DE. Addressing Population Health: Integrators in the Accountable Health Communities Model. JAMA. 2017;318(19):1865–1866. doi:https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.15063
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