Life expectancy for baby born in Israel today is 82, compared to 77 in 1990

Less encouragingly, global study also shows increase in Israelis suffering from high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high body mass index

Illustrative: A newborn baby in an Israeli hospital. (Chen Leopold/Flash90)
Illustrative: A newborn baby in an Israeli hospital. (Chen Leopold/Flash90)

A child born in Israel in 2015 can expect to live to the age of 82, while that child’s parent, when born in 1990, had a life expectancy of 77, a new study found.

The study, conducted by the US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and released Thursday, found Israelis living significantly longer than 25 years ago.

(Globally, life expectancy increased from about 62 years to nearly 72 from 1980 to 2015, the study found, with several nations in sub-Saharan Africa rebounding from high death rates due to HIV/AIDS.)

It also showed Israel has reduced deaths of expecting or new mothers: “In the midst of a growing population, the number of maternal deaths in Israel dropped from 11 in 1990 to 10 in 2015. The ratio of maternal deaths fell from 11 deaths per 100,000 live births to 6.”

Less encouragingly, the study, which conducted a new scientific analysis of more than 300 diseases and injuries in 195 countries and territories, also revealed an increase in the number of Israelis suffering from metabolic risks like high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high body mass index. It said health issues in Israel are largely caused by non-communicable diseases for example, lung cancer is on the rise due to smoking.

Dr. Ali Mokdad, Director of Middle Eastern Initiatives at the Institute, headquartered at the University of Washington, stated that, “Programs to improve health behaviors in Israel are greatly needed and should be prioritized.”

Ischemic heart disease was the leading cause of death for Israelis in 2015, leading to 6,685 deaths. Alzheimer’s disease came in second, killing 3,694, and diabetes came in third causing 2,427 deaths.

The study found that the top three non-fatal causes of health problems were lower back pain, neck pain and depression.

According to statistics released by the World Health Organization in May, Israelis born in 2015 are projected to live among the longest on average on the planet.

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