U.S. adults aged 25-64 have been dying at increasing rates since 1990, according to a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine published March 2.
Compared to other wealthy nations, Americans are more likely to die before age 65, the report said.
Drug overdoses, alcohol, suicides, diabetes and heart diseases are among the main drivers responsible for the steady increase in death rates among young and middle-aged adults.
"We're losing more and more Americans in the prime of their lives, in their most productive years, and in their parenting years," said Kathleen Mullan Harris, PhD, chair of the committee that wrote the report and sociology professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "The most troubling themes in our report — higher mortality than our peer countries; major racial and ethnic, socio-economic, and geographic disparities; lack of access to health insurance and care — have all been exacerbated by the pandemic."
The authors outline a number of policy actions to reverse the trend, including addressing the overdose epidemic as well as the underlying causes of substance use, broader access to mental health services and ensuring those most at risk for obesity can partake in prevention programs earlier in life.
The National Academies report is based on data from 1990-2017 and was funded by HHS and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
To access the full report, click here.