American Medical Association finds people in US are sick for an average of 12.4 years, an increase from figure in 2000

Summary

Americans spend more time living with disease than people in other countries. A new study by the American Medical Association reveals that Americans live with illness for an average of 12.4 years, up from 10.9 years in 2000.

Women in the US experience a larger healthspan-lifespan gap than men.

Mental, substance-use, and musculoskeletal disorders are major contributors to this gap.

Globally, the healthspan-lifespan gap has also widened over the past two decades.