The CDC says life expectancy in 2023 increased slightly for the second year in a row and has nearly recovered to pre-Covid levels to rough 76.6 years. Yet, the USA still remains well behind most developed countries not even making the top 20 worldwide, and more than six years behind many European and Asian countries. Heart disease remains the number one cause of death, cancer second, then strokes, accidents, and obesity/diabetes-related deaths rounding out the top 5. As has been widely publicized, the vast majority, 94% according to the CDC, of those who died from COVID complications in 2020 and 2021 causing the dramatic 2-year dip in life expectancy, also suffered from heart disease, diabetes, and or obesity. Incidentally, Covid related deaths last year were almost identical to influenza and did not make the top 10.
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