Health
Americans born after 1970 face higher death rates from several major causes in middle age
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Americans born after 1970 are dying faster than their parents did, data shows.
New analysis from Tufts University reveals that Gen Xers and millennials are failing to outlive their predecessors, dying at higher rates from common chronic illnesses and external causes than previous generations did when they were the same age.
Data shows that U.S. life expectancy has steadily improved for most of the 20th century, meaning each generation generally lived longer than the one before it.
RARE CANCER DIAGNOSES SURGE DRAMATICALLY AMONG MILLENNIALS AND GEN X
However, that changed starting with individuals born in the 1950s. While Americans born in the 1940s experienced steadily improving survival rates at every stage of life, those born in the 1950s saw that progress slow or reverse.
The downward trend has continued with each subsequent generation, with the biggest change seen in Americans born after 1970.
While Americans born in the 1940s experienced steadily improving survival rates at every stage of life, those born in the 1950s saw that progress slow or reverse. (iStock)
The research, which tracks 45 years of American mortality data from 1979 to 2019, was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, according to a Tufts press release.
Between the ages of 30 and 49, Americans born after 1970 experience higher death rates from heart disease, cancer and external causes (such as drug overdoses, suicide, homicides and traffic accidents) compared to older generations when they were in that same age bracket.
SECRETS OF LONGEVITY FROM THE WORLD’S ‘BLUE ZONES’
Why are younger generations dying sooner?
Because the study focused on mapping patterns rather than conducting clinical trials, researchers say it can’t point to a single definitive cause for the decline.
However, the study points out two distinct issues affecting American life expectancy. The first is generational decline, meaning that newer generations are entering middle age while carrying higher risk factors than their predecessors.
Part of the decline is marked by a slowdown of decades-long progress against cardiovascular disease. (iStock)
Additionally, a separate, nationwide setback began around 2010, negatively impacting almost every living adult simultaneously, regardless of their birth year. Researchers say this period was marked by a slowdown of decades-long progress against cardiovascular disease.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
U.S. life expectancy improved by just 0.26 years between 2010 and 2019. In comparison, the country gained an average of 1.78 years of life expectancy per decade over the previous 50 years, according to the analysis.
This has caused the U.S. to fall further behind on a global scale. The life expectancy gap between the U.S. and the top-performing nation grew from 2.6 years in 1983 to 4.7 years by 2009.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Shifting health risks
Earlier generations were heavily impacted by cigarette smoking. In contrast, younger generations face rising obesity rates and related conditions, such as colon cancer, data shows.
Because Americans born after 1970 are still in the middle stages of life, the full impact of these elevated mortality rates has not yet fully registered in overall national life expectancy figures. (iStock)
The researchers noted that the rise of the opioid epidemic also significantly accelerated overdose deaths for post-1970 generations starting in the late 1990s.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
The team cited widening economic inequality, social instability and chronic stress as larger issues that could be driving multiple causes of death at the same time.
Because Americans born after 1970 are still in the middle stages of life, the full impact of these elevated mortality rates has not yet fully registered in overall national life expectancy figures, they noted.
Looking ahead, the researchers plan to analyze newly released 2024 mortality data to understand how the pandemic may have affected U.S. mortality trends. (iStock)
“Although this study does not provide direct evidence, we can speculate about some interventions to explore,” lead study author Leah Abrams, an assistant professor of community health at Tufts University, said in the press release.
“To reduce deaths from cardiovascular disease, we may want to address risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity. Addressing colon cancer mortality among younger individuals may involve related factors and benefit from improving diet.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Looking ahead, the researchers plan to analyze newly released 2024 mortality data to understand how the pandemic may have affected U.S. mortality trends.
Bipartisan push to invest in US national parks
Bret Baier moderates a discussion with Representatives Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Jared Huffman (D-CA) about the ‘America the Beautiful’ initiative. This bipartisan effort seeks to modernize national parks ahead of America’s 250th anniversary, investing $1.9 billion annually. They emphasize national parks as common ground, beloved by all Americans, and crucial for our shared heritage.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, many Americans are taking extra notice of all the things the country has to offer.
One such case is our access to vast wilderness. Today, the nation’s national parks are bustling tourist attractions, but they may also serve as vital resources for public health, experts say.
The most immediate health boost comes from physical movement.
HIKERS FACE URGENT GRAND CANYON HEAT WARNING AFTER TEEN’S DEATH ON POPULAR TRAIL
Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that regular physical activity is crucial for reducing obesity, improving sleep quality and lowering the risk of chronic illnesses.
The nation’s public lands include parks, trails and open spaces that encourage outdoor recreation and physical activity.
Beyond physical fitness, national parks contribute to documented mental health benefits. (iStock)
A review by the Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) found that implementing park, trail and greenway infrastructure directly increases physical activity across communities.
AMERICA’S LIFESPAN HAS DOUBLED SINCE 1776 — EXPERTS REVEAL WHAT CHANGED
When people walk, hike or bike through national parks, they are actively lowering their blood pressure, boosting immune function and reducing overall mortality, data shows.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
Beyond physical fitness, national parks may contribute to documented mental health benefits.
Previous research has demonstrated that direct exposure to nature significantly reduces physiological stress, lowers heart rates and decreases levels of stress hormones, like cortisol.
Engaging in educational activities and lifelong learning preserves brain function, improves memory and helps stave off age-related cognitive decline, research shows. (iStock)
This research also shows that natural environments boost attention span, combat mental fatigue and improve cognitive performance.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
Parks also act as natural venues for mindfulness and social connection.
Research shows that practicing mindfulness in quiet outdoor spaces lowers stress and mitigates feelings of loneliness and social isolation.
Research highlights that practicing mindfulness in quiet outdoor spaces lowers stress and mitigates feelings of loneliness and social isolation. (iStock)
Additionally, because parks protect cultural and historical resources, they can inspire lifelong learning.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
According to the data, engaging in educational activities and lifelong learning preserves brain function, improves memory and helps stave off age-related cognitive decline.
The National Park Service was established in 1916 to conserve the nation’s natural and historic resources for future generations, according to the organization.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Today, that mission has expanded, as parks are recognized not only for their scenic and cultural value, but also the opportunities they provide for recreation and physical activity.
Screwworm outbreak threat to US livestock, prompts USDA action
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins discusses USDA’s response to the New World Screwworm outbreak in Texas and New Mexico, assuring safe food supply on ‘The Bottom Line.’ VI LONG DEK: Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins addresses the alarming resurgence of New World Screwworm in Texas and New Mexico, emphasizing USDA’s aggressive containment efforts. She confirms the food supply remains safe while highlighting the administration’s focus on domestic fertilizer production, investing billions in new plants and infrastructure projects. Rollins celebrates 250 years of American agriculture and its vital role in national security.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Doctors thought a 60-year-old man had metastatic brain cancer after scans revealed multiple tumors – but further testing revealed a shocking diagnosis.
The Spanish man, who was not named, was found to have a parasitic tapeworm larvae lodged in his brain — a case of neurocysticercosis, a parasitic infection of the central nervous system caused by the pork tapeworm (Taenia solium).
The patient, a lifelong resident of Castellón, Spain, had not traveled to any regions where the disease is endemic, according to the case report published in the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
DEADLY ‘FOX TAPEWORM’ LINKED TO LETHAL DISEASE DETECTED IN WEST COAST WILDLIFE
The man had initially come to the hospital after suffering two weeks of progressive headaches and mild behavioral changes.
Radiologic findings from a study of autochthonous neurocysticercosis brain lesions mimicking metastatic disease. (Emerging Infectious Diseases)
CT scans showed multiple abnormal spots that looked like tumors that had spread from cancer elsewhere in the body, leading doctors to suspect advanced brain cancer.
However, whole-body scans, a colonoscopy and specialized imaging failed to identify cancer anywhere in the patient’s body, the case report stated.
NEUROLOGISTS REVEAL THE TOP 3 FOODS TO AVOID TO PROTECT YOUR BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM
When doctors performed a more detailed MRI, they discovered several fluid-filled cysts in the brain, some of which contained the head of a tapeworm. A blood test confirmed the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis.
The man was treated with a combination of albendazole and praziquantel (two antiparasitic medications), as well as corticosteroids to reduce inflammation. He successfully recovered with no complications, according to the case report.
CT scans (not pictured) showed multiple abnormal spots that looked like tumors that had spread from cancer elsewhere in the body, leading doctors to suspect advanced brain cancer. (iStock)
The authors suggested that the patient may have gotten the infection after accidentally ingesting microscopic tapeworm eggs years earlier.
The exposure may have occurred while working a construction job with migrant coworkers from regions where neurocysticercosis is endemic.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
People can catch the pork tapeworm in two different ways. Eating undercooked infected pork usually leads to an intestinal tapeworm, but accidentally swallowing the parasite’s eggs — typically through food or water contaminated with feces — can send the larvae into the bloodstream, where they may form cysts in the brain and other organs. This can cause the disease the patient in the case report acquired.
A photomicrograph shows histopathologic features in a brain tissue specimen from a case of neurocysticercosis caused by the pork tapeworm Taenia solium. The image documents pathological changes associated with this parasitic infection. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
As this was just a single case, the source of transmission could not be proven, the researchers acknowledged, and the findings cannot be generalized to a wider population. The report shows that there is a possibility of local transmission in non-endemic settings, but cannot establish how often this occurs.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
In the United States, less than 2% of neurocysticercosis cases are considered domestically acquired, according to the case report.
A prior systematic review identified only 18 confirmed locally acquired cases in Western Europe between 1990 and 2011.
The authors suggested that the patient may have gotten the infection after accidentally ingesting microscopic tapeworm eggs years earlier. (Associated Press)
In some cases, NCC can cause serious symptoms, including seizures, stroke, neurological deficits and cognitive decline.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
“Our case emphasizes that the absence of travel history should not preclude NCC from the differential diagnosis of multiple ring-enhancing brain lesions, even in regions where metastatic cancer is statistically much more likely,” the researchers concluded in the case study.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Detecting the worms earlier could have prevented “unnecessary invasive oncologic procedures and led to prompt, targeted antiparasitic therapy,” they added.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A rare and potentially fatal tick-borne illness currently spreading across the United States can be traced back to a 1958 case involving a young boy on a farm.
The disease, known as Powassan virus, was named for the Ontario town near where it was first discovered.
At the time of his death, Lincoln Byers, a 4-year-old living in Canada, had a condition that medical professionals could not explain, the Boston Globe reported.
DEADLY ‘FOX TAPEWORM’ LINKED TO LETHAL DISEASE DETECTED IN WEST COAST WILDLIFE
Years later, researchers discovered a tick harboring the same virus on a dead squirrel, finally providing an answer to the tragedy, but foreshadowing a growing public health challenge.
While once considered an obscure medical anomaly, Powassan virus cases have reached historic highs in the U.S., data show.
Powassan is most prevalent from late spring through mid-fall, when tick populations peak and outdoor activity increases. (iStock)
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 76 Americans were diagnosed with the virus in 2025, the highest annual total on record. Previously, the U.S. averaged just seven to eight diagnoses each year.
The virus is primarily transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected woodchuck tick or deer tick. Like other tick-borne illnesses, Powassan is most prevalent from late spring through mid-fall, when tick populations peak and outdoor activity increases.
Public health experts warn that the virus’s transmission speed makes it uniquely dangerous.
TICK BITE ER VISITS HIT HIGHEST SEASONAL LEVEL IN YEARS AS DOCTORS WARN OF DISEASE SURGE
“One of the most dangerous aspects is its rapid transmission,” Dr. Jorge P. Parada, a medical advisor at the National Pest Management Association in Chicago, told Fox News Digital.
“Powassan can be transmitted in as little as 15 minutes after the infected tick bites, while Lyme disease usually requires a 36- to 48-hour attachment time for transmission.”
Powassan carries an incubation period of one to four weeks before symptoms manifest. (iStock)
Parada noted that while Powassan remains rare compared to Lyme disease, it poses clinical concern.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News, confirmed that the virus transmits significantly faster than Lyme disease. He noted that Powassan carries an incubation period of one to four weeks before symptoms manifest.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Initial symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting and weakness, though some infected individuals remain asymptomatic, according to the CDC.
There are currently no specific medications or vaccines to treat or prevent Powassan virus. (iStock)
The virus can progress to severe neurological complications, including encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and meningitis (inflammation of the spinal cord membranes).
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
In severe cases, patients may experience confusion, loss of coordination, difficulty speaking and seizures, per the CDC.
“One of the most dangerous aspects of it is its rapid transmission.”
Approximately 10% of Powassan cases involving severe neurological disease are fatal, and many survivors experience long-term neurological issues.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
There are currently no specific medications or vaccines to treat or prevent Powassan virus; clinical care is limited to supportive therapy, such as intravenous fluids and respiratory support.
While anyone can develop severe illness, those at the highest risk include children, older adults and immunocompromised individuals, experts caution.
-
Business1 minute agoDisneyland to offer $59 evening tickets next month
-
Entertainment4 minutes agoAfter Amazon drops OpenAI movie ‘Artificial,’ film finds new home at Neon
-
Lifestyle9 minutes agoICICLE: Capturing Interest in Chinese Brands
-
Politics16 minutes agoNewsom signs off on 100% California tax for money from Trump’s $1.8-billion ‘slush fund’
-
Science19 minutes agoAfter bold pledge, EPA shelves microplastics testing in U.S. drinking water
-
Sports24 minutes agoWalter Alston, Dave Roberts and everyone in between: The 10 managers in L.A. Dodgers history
-
World34 minutes agoWorld’s oceans experience hottest June ever, scientists say more heat ahead
-
News1 hour agoWhat the Supreme Court did on the final day of its term
