Life expectancy
Why people in Germany die earlier than anywhere else
© Dragana Gordic / Adobe Stock
According to a study, when it comes to life expectancy, Germany ranks at the bottom despite a good health system. Above all, an illness – and how to deal with it – is a reason for this.
The Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) and the Max Planck Institute have in one joint research examined the life expectancy of people in 16 Western European countries. Germany came 15th for men and 14th for women. The comparatively short life expectancy is mainly attributed to an illness, as the BiB explained on Wednesday in Wiesbaden: “The main reason for the backlog is an increased number of deaths from cardiovascular diseases.”
People in Spain, France and Switzerland are the oldest
In terms of life expectancy, Spain, France and Switzerland land in the top three places. Men in Spain have an average life expectancy of 80.8 years – for men in Germany it is 78.7 years. The difference is even greater for women: in the western European country they live to an average of 86.2 years – in Germany 83.5 years.
For the study, the deaths in Germany were compared with six selected countries according to the cause of death, explained BiB scientist Pavel Grigoriev in Wiesbaden. Especially in the category of cardiovascular diseases, Germany did poorly: there are already large deficits among men from the age of 50+, while women have an increased mortality rate over the age of 65.
This also corresponds to figures from the Federal Statistical Office, after five of the ten most common causes of death are heart diseases and cardiovascular diseases are responsible for more than a third of all deaths, as reported by the German Federal Statistical Office Federal Ministry of Education and Research is called. The Robert Koch Institute sees coronary heart disease, i.e. calcification of the heart vessels, heart attacks and strokes, as particularly important for the healthcare system.
“The fact that Germany is clearly lagging behind when it comes to cardiovascular diseases is cause for concern, since these are now considered to be largely preventable,” Grigoriev continued. “Great economic strength and an efficient health system that is easily accessible for the majority of the population contrast with a western European position at the bottom in terms of life expectancy.” This is – in connection with the high investments – a warning signal for the sustainability of the health system.
Treatments are late
Contrary to what one might think now, however, there is no sudden drop in life expectancy – Germany has been conspicuous for years with a comparatively low life expectancy, which, however, has so far attracted “amazing little attention”, such as Max Planck Demograph and Population Health Researcher Domantas Jasilions explained in an interview with “Zeit Online”. He was one of the researchers who dealt with the question of why Germany has such a comparatively low life expectancy in the study. What is particularly striking is that in Germany people who are already ill are given priority, but preventive measures are pushed into the background.
As the study states, an “unfavorable combination of weak prevention policies and low early detection rates for cardiovascular diseases appears to be responsible for the fact that hospitalization and mortality rates in Germany are significantly higher than in many other high-income countries”. In short: the treatments come too late, so even well-equipped hospitals, modern equipment and highly qualified staff are of little use.
How we can prevent diseases
Ultimately, no one is more responsible for our own health than we are – and so it is important to take preventive action to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. According to the German Center for Cardiovascular Research eV, there are four particularly important protective factors:
1. No smoking
This should come as no surprise to few, but smoking is and remains a demonstrably strong risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.
2. Balanced, healthy diet
Whole grain products, fruit, vegetables, as little meat as possible and more vegetable than animal fats: If you stick to a diet that is as varied and healthy as possible, you are less likely to develop cardiovascular disease.
3. Movement
It doesn’t have to be a marathon, a short daily walk can make a difference. The main thing is that you move.
4. Stress Management
Time and performance pressure at work, problems in private life … there are many reasons that ensure that blood pressure rises and our heart races – which increases the risk of heart disease if we are constantly exposed to such stressors. Good stress management can help to avoid feeling at the mercy of the challenges of everyday life.
Sources used: focus.de, zeit.de, link.springer.com, gesundheitsforschung-bmbf.de, dzhk.de