OD deaths drive life expectancy drop in Ohio, U.S.

The mortality rate of middle-aged Ohioans has increased more than it has in 47 other states and a new study shows the ongoing opioid epidemic may be partially to blame (Source: “Overdose deaths cause fall in life expectancy for middle-aged Ohioans, study shows,” Columbus Dispatch via Cincinnati Enquirer, Nov. 27, 2019).

From 2010 to 2017, Ohio’s mortality rate for people ages 25 to 64 increased by 21.6%, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The U.S. experienced around 33,307 “excess deaths” from 2010 to 2017, about 32.8% of which occurred in four states, the study found. They include Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia, states that have all been noted as some of the hardest hit by the spread of opioids.

The overall life expectancy of Americans mostly increased over the past 60 years, but from 2014 through 2017 life expectancy decreased in the U.S., according to the study.

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