Dying Healthy: Public Health Priorities for Fixed Population Life Expectancies
Authors: George J. Annas, Sandro Galea
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2018)

Ideas and Opinions16 October 2018Dying Healthy: Public Health Priorities for Fixed Population Life ExpectanciesGeorge J. Annas, JD, MPH and Sandro Galea, MD, DrPHGeorge J. Annas, JD, MPHBoston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (G.J.A., S.G.) and Sandro Galea, MD, DrPHBoston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (G.J.A., S.G.)Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M18-1609 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail A longer life has long been one of the central goals of investments in public health and medicine. Population longevity is frequently used to measure the success of a country's health care system, and life expectancy in many countries increased by more than 30 years in the past century. The 21st century began with new medications and procedures to fight disease, and we are now at the dawn of a genomic revolution that has promised even more remarkable opportunities to cure disease and extend life. However, recent data suggest that the human lifespan probably has an unalterable biological limit of ...References1. Dong X, Milholland B, Vijg J. Evidence for a limit to human lifespan. Nature. 2016;538:257-9. [PMID: 27706136] doi:10.1038/nature19793 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Fries JF. Aging, natural death, and the compression of morbidity. N Engl J Med. 1980;303:130-5. [PMID: 7383070] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Frieden TR. Shattuck Lecture: the future of public health. N Engl J Med. 2015;373:1748-54. [PMID: 26510022] doi:10.1056/NEJMsa1511248 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Xu J, Murphy SL, Kochanek KD, Arias E. Mortality in the United States, 2015. NCHS Data Brief. 2016:1-8. [PMID: 27930283] MedlineGoogle Scholar5. 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N Engl J Med. 2000;342:654-6. [PMID: 10699168] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. Fuchs VR. New priorities for future biomedical innovations. N Engl J Med. 2010;363:704-6. [PMID: 20818873] doi:10.1056/NEJMp0906597 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (G.J.A., S.G.)Disclosures: Authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M18-1609.Corresponding Author: Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, Office of the Dean, 715 Albany Street, Talbot 301, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118; e-mail, [email protected]edu.Current Author Addresses: Dr. Annas: Center for Health Law, Ethics & Human Rights, 715 Albany Street, Talbot, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118.Dr. Galea: Office of the Dean, 715 Albany Street, Talbot 301, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02118.Author Contributions: Conception and design: S. Galea.Drafting of the article: G.J. Annas, S. Galea.Critical revision of the article for important intellectual content: G.J. Annas, S. Galea.Final approval of the article: G.J. Annas, S. Galea.Administrative, technical, or logistic support: S. Galea.This article was published at Annals.org on 25 September 2018. 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Cunningham, PhD, and James Curran, MD 16 October 2018Volume 169, Issue 8Page: 568-569KeywordsCancer preventionHealth economicsLife expectancyPalliative carePatientsPrecision medicinePrevention, policy, and public healthQuality of lifeResearch fundingSafety ePublished: 25 September 2018 Issue Published: 16 October 2018 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2018 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...