Americans living longer, but sicker

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- U.S. adults are living longer but they are living those years sicker, while younger adults are getting more functionally limited sooner, health officials say.

The 33rd annual report on the health status of the nation -- prepared by the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services for the president and Congress -- says in 2007, American men could expect to live 3.5 years longer and women 1.6 years longer than they did in 1990. U.S. life expectancy is 79.9 years, about six years shorter than that of Japan, which has the highest life expectancy.

Longer life expectancy increases the risk of chronic diseases including hypertension, diabetes, end-stage renal disease, certain types of cancer, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

Aging is associated with increased functional limitations -- movement, vision, hearing or self-care -- but in 2007, 69 million adults ages 18 and older had movement limitations, emotional difficulty, trouble seeing or hearing, or complex activity limitation such as work or self-care limitations -- an increase from about 61 million in 1997.

Infant mortality -- a major component of overall life expectancy -- declined through 2001 and has changed little since then, but both life expectancy and infant mortality continue to lag behind levels in many other developed countries -- the United States ranks 28th in the world for infant mortality.