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							Impact of NIH Research
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 You are here Home About NIH What We Do Impact of NIH Research
 Impact of NIH Research
 Impact of NIH Research
    
  Improving Health
Revolutionizing Science
Serving Society
Our Stories Improving Health Discoveries emerging from NIH-supported research have led to new ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat illness, ultimately improving the health of the nation and the world. Improvements in health are reflected in U.S. trends over time for an increase in life expectancy and a decrease in death rate. For example, between 1970 and 2020, the life expectancy of the average American increased by 6 years, from 70.8 to 77.0. Between 1969 and 2020, the death rate in the U.S. for all causes has decreased by 35%, from 1279 per 100,000 people to 835. Explore the sections below to discover more about how NIH improves health. Printer-friendly version of this page improving-health--brain-mental-health.jpg Artistic rendering of deep brain stimulation (DBS), with an outline of brain and vertical lines that represent wire leads with a single electrode that has been inserted deep within the brain to reach a region involved in cognition, the central thalamus.
 Brain and Mental Health
 substance-use--tobacco-use.jpg Woman blowing bubbles
 Substance Use
 improving-health--eye-ear-health.jpg Image capturing the layers of nerve cells in the retina. The top layer (green) is made up of cells called photoreceptors that convert light into electrical signals to relay to the brain.
 Eye and Ear Health
 improving-health--cancer.jpg Scanning electron micrograph of an oral squamous cancer cell (white) being attacked by two cytotoxic T cells (red), part of a natural immune response.
 Cancer
 improving-health--technology-patient-care.jpg Doctor holding a cell phone.
 Technology and Patient Care
 improving-health--heart-lung-kidney-health.jpg Finger pricked for a blood sugar test in a person with diabetes.
 Heart, Lung, and Kidney Health
 improving-health--genetic-diseases.jpg Magnified red blood cells and sickled cells.
 Genetic Diseases
 improving-health--immune-system.jpg Creative rendition of SARS-COV-2 virus particles.
 Immune System
 improving-health--education-prevention.jpg Group of students from the NIH Amgen Scholars program work together on a project.
 Education and Prevention
 References Mortality in the United States, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db427.pdf
			Life expectancy at birth, at 65 years of age, and at 75 years of age, by race and sex: United States, selected years 1900-2007. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2010/022.pdf
			Ma J, Ward EM, Siegel RL, Jemal A. Temporal Trends in Mortality in the United States, 1969-2013. JAMA. 2015;314(16):1731-9. PMID: 26505597
 asthma-case-study-spread-screenshot.jpg Screenshot of the asthma case study
 Our Stories The knowledge produced by NIH-supported research can take many years and pass through many stages on its pathway toward improving health. Explore stories of how NIH has contributed to successful health interventions, and how these interventions have made a difference in our lives.
 This page last reviewed on April 10, 2023
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