To reduce the leading causes of death worldwide and non-communicable diseases, developed countries implemented some measures and those measures appeared to improve the life expectancy of women 50 years old and above within the past 30 years. However, a study suggests that the gap in life expectancy among those women in both poor and rich countries is growing.
World Health Organization’s Ageing and Life Course Department’s Director, Dr. John Beard, also one of the authors of the study wrote that with the substantial decrease in maternal mortality and increase in the population of older women in the past decade, health systems in low-income and middle-income countries must adjust consequently, or else this trend will continue to balloon. Modifying the women’s exposures at earlier stages of their lives, mostly in relation to harmful use of alcohol and tobacco and sexual health, is very important in reversing the occurence of chronic diseases.
Prevention, early diagnosis and management of hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity and screening and treatment for cancers are known and cost-effective ways to address these common non-communicable diseases.
With the measures applied by WHO, lesser number of 50-year olds and older women die due to heart ailments, diabetes and stroke compared to three decades ago and these health progresses added up to women’s increasing life expectancy at 50 years of age.
Women age 50 in Japan and Germany gained an additional 3.5 years in their life expectancy and can now live up to 88 and 84 respectively.
In Chile, France and United Kingdom had an additional 2.5 years, making women in these countries live up to 83 to 84 years of age.
In Russian Federation and Mexico, 50-year old women’s life expectancy increased by 1.2 and 2.4 years respectively so their average life spans can reach 78 for Russian Federation and 80 for Mexico.
While breast cancer incidence ballooned in general within the past 30 years, there were lesser breast and cervical cancer deaths noted in 50-year old and older women because of the provision of early diagnosis and apt treatment.
Female group in the said age bracket in the mentioned countries including New Zealand, Poland, and United States died from cardiovascular diseases and diabetes between 1970 and 2010.
As of the moment, roughly 280 million women who are 50 years old and above in developed regions and about 550 million in developed countries are still alive. By 2050, nevertheless, approximately 19 percent of the Earth’s population will be 50-year old and older women.
The study was published in the Sept. 2 bulletin of the World Health Organization.
