Category: Mortality

Losing 40,000 men a year to suicide is a national tragedy

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://ofboysandmen.substack.com/p/losing-40000-men-a-year-to-suicide

Graphic:

Excerpt:

Boys and men account for 80% of the deaths from suicide in the United States. This amounts to almost 40,000 male deaths a year, about the same as the loss of women’s lives from breast cancer.

But the crisis of male suicide is not getting enough attention. I’m still being told by well-informed people that among teens and young adults, the suicide risk is higher for women than men, a dangerous untruth.

There are lots of risk factors for suicide, including being a veteran or living in a a rural area. Native Americans also have a higher risk than other racial groups. But by far the biggest gap of all is the one between women and men:

Author(s): Richard V Reeves

Publication Date: 10 Sept 2025

Publication Site: Of Boys and Men, substack

Quarterly Mortality Monitoring Report for the U.S. Population – 2025Q1

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.soa.org/resources/research-reports/2025/qmmr-us-population/

PDF: https://www.soa.org/49dea4/globalassets/assets/files/resources/research-report/2025/2025-q2-qmmr-us-population.pdf

Graphic:

Excerpt:

Key findings are as follows:

  • For the U.S. population considered as a whole, the age-standardized death rate for the 12-month period from April 2024 to March 2025 was 849.7 (per 100,000 persons), compared to 845.5 for the 12-month period from January to December 2024. This is an increase of 0.49%. Despite this increase, the 12-month death rate remains slightly below the level observed in 2019.
  • The 0.49% increase occurred because the death rate for the first quarter (Q1) of 2025 was 1.6% greater than the rate for Q1-2024 (which dropped out of the 12-month trailing period).
  • Prior to Q1-2025, the 12-month trailing death rate had declined steadily since Q4-2021.
  • Although mortality increased in Q1-2025 for the U.S. population considered as a whole, mortality improvement continued to occur across younger ages. For ages under 50, mortality experience in Q1-2025 contributed to a 1% to 2% decrease in the 12-month trailing death rate; for ages 50 to 59, the 12-month death rate remained essentially unchanged, and for ages 60 and above, the 12-month death rate increased by about 0.75%.

Along with this report, an updated version of the QMMR Excel/VBA workbook was released. The updated workbook contains data from 2000 through March 2025, disaggregated by sex, single age, and 14 broad categories of mortality causes. The workbook provides several tools to facilitate the analysis of mortality trends, including interactive, parameterized graphs that make it easy to visualize trends in the data.

Author(s): SOA Quarterly Mortality Monitoring Oversight Group

Larry Stern, FSA, MAAA

Sam Gutterman, FSA, MAAA, FCAS, FCA, HONFIA, CERA

Ed Hui, FSA

Tom Kukla, FSA, MAAA

Publication Date: June 2025

Publication Site: SOA Research Institute

What Does It Take to Get Men to See a Doctor?

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/magazine/mens-health-doctor-masculinity.html?unlocked_article_code=1.kE8.Wnox.7wL-3zvQ9-5r&smid=url-share

Excerpt:

Right now, men in the United States, whether infants or elders, are more likely to die at younger ages than their female counterparts. Male life expectancy at birth is currently 75.8 years — 5.3 years less than it is for women. The gap between American men and women had mostly been narrowing gradually for the first decade of this century, then holding relatively steady, until the Covid-19 pandemic, when it widened sharply to 5.8 years, the largest difference since 1996. While living longer doesn’t guarantee that those extra years are healthy or meaningful, life expectancy remains a rough proxy for overall health.

Over the past several years, men have died at higher rates than women from 14 of the top 15 causes of death. The only exception has been Alzheimer’s disease — and that, at least to some extent, is because more women live long enough to develop it. Young men in particular are heavily affected by deaths of despair, like suicides and overdoses, which significantly lower overall male life expectancy. Native American and Black men have the shortest lives; across all racial groups, men die younger than women.

That disparity has many causes, one of which is that men simply don’t go to the doctor as often. The problem begins early: After pediatric care, young men largely disappear from medical settings until after serious issues arise. Women tend to see their gynecologists regularly; men have no clear equivalent. The Affordable Care Act covers only one preventive service specifically targeting men, while it lists 27 for women (some of which are related to pregnancy). HPV vaccination, for example, recommended for all adolescents, still feels mostly associated with girls, when HPV-related throat cancers are now more common in men than cervical cancers are in women.

….

By the time the man came into the E.R. where I work, the cancer had already spread throughout his body. He knew that colon cancer ran in his family, yet he didn’t get his first colonoscopy until almost a decade past the recommended time — until he decided he could no longer ignore the blood he had been seeing in his stool for a year. Work occupied his mind; besides, nothing really felt like something he couldn’t push through. After his diagnosis, surgery and chemotherapy temporarily suppressed the disease. He felt better, so he stopped seeing his doctors.

….

Around the world, in countries where precarious manhood is felt more strongly, men tend to have higher rates of risky health behaviors and lower life expectancy. Where these beliefs are strongest among the 60-plus countries surveyed, male life expectancy is about 6.7 years shorter than in countries where they are weakest — even after controlling for wealth, gender equality and number of physicians. The United States ranks higher in precarious manhood beliefs than its peers like Spain, Germany and Finland; correspondingly, American men die younger. In a forthcoming paper, researchers including Bosson and Vandello found that the more strongly a country endorses precarious manhood, the more likely its men are to die from high-risk causes — drownings, accidents, homicides — and moderate-risk causes like lung cancer from smoking.

….

American men aren’t the only ones dying younger; the life-expectancy gap between men and women exists everywhere in the world. But what is different is that other countries have done much more on a national level to try to make progress in improving men’s health. A handful, including Ireland, Australia and Brazil, have developed national men’s health policies. Since Ireland introduced its strategy in 2008 — the world’s first — it has made considerable strides in male life expectancy, outpacing most European nations. One advance the country has made is at workplaces, getting employers in male-dominated industries, like farming and construction, on board with prioritizing men’s health. “When we started this 20 years ago, we were met with a lot of resistance,” Noel Richardson, a key architect of Ireland’s men’s health plan, told me. “There’s been quite a sea change. There’s a mainstreaming and a normalizing of health for men as something we should all aspire to.”

Author(s): By Helen Ouyang
Helen Ouyang is a physician and contributing writer for the magazine.

Publication Date: 25 Aug 2025

Publication Site: NYT Magazine

The Silence Doctors Are Keeping About Millennial Deaths

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2024/07/millennials-cancer-death/678896/

Excerpt:

Several years ago, in my work as a palliative-care doctor, I cared for a man in his 60s who had been mostly healthy before he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. After three different treatments had failed him, his oncologist and I told him that a fourth treatment might buy him a few weeks at best. “Send me back to Boston,” he said immediately. He wanted to smell the Atlantic, see his childhood home. He made it there, dying a week later.

My patient died on his own terms: He was comfortable, fully informed about his worsening cancer, and able to decide where he wanted to die, whom he wanted to be with. This is the type of proverbial “good death” that our medical system is slowly learning to strive for—but not necessarily for younger people.

In the hospital room next to this man was a young mother who, like me, was in her 30s. We bonded over our love of ’90s music and the Southern California beaches where we’d built sandcastles as children and stayed out late as teenagers. She, too, was dying of Stage 4 stomach cancer; I first met her when her oncology team asked if I could help manage her pain and nausea. She would rest her hands on her protruding belly, swollen with fluid and gas because cancer blocked her bowels; she couldn’t eat, so medications and liquid nutrition dripped through a large catheter threaded up a blood vessel in her arm and into her heart.

Author(s): Sunita Puri

Publication Date: 5 July 2024

Publication Site: The Atlantic

Racial Disparities in Mortality by Sex, Age, and Cause of Death

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.nber.org/papers/w33905

Graphic:

Abstract:

Racial differences in mortality are large, persistent and likely caused, at least in part, by racism. While the causal pathways linking racism to mortality are conceptually well defined, empirical evidence to support causal claims related to its effect on health is incomplete. In this study, we provide a unique set of facts about racial disparities in mortality that all theories of racism and health need to confront to be convincing. We measure racial disparities in mortality between ages 40 and 80 for both males and females and for several causes of death and, measure how those disparities change with age. Estimates indicate that racial disparities in mortality grow with age but at a decreasing rate. Estimates also indicate that the source of racial disparities in mortality changes with age, sex and cause of death. For men in their fifties, racial disparities in mortality are primarily caused by disparities in deaths due to external causes. For both sexes, it is racial disparities in death from healthcare amenable causes that are the main cause of racial disparities in mortality between ages 55 and 75. Notably, racial disparities in cancer and other causes of death are relatively small even though these causes of death account for over half of all deaths. Adjusting for economic resources and health largely eliminate racial disparities in mortality at all ages and the mediating effect of these factors grows with age. The pattern of results suggests that, to the extent that racism influences health, it is primarily through racism’s effect on investments to treat healthcare amenable diseases that cause racial disparities in mortality.

Author(s): Robert Kaestner, Anuj Gangopadhyaya & Cuiping Schiman

Publication Date: June 2025

Publication Site: NBER Working Papers

Modifiable risk factors for stroke, dementia and late-life depression: a systematic review and DALY-weighted risk factors for a composite outcome

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/early/2025/03/21/jnnp-2024-334925.long

Excerpt:

Abstract

Background At least 60% of stroke, 40% of dementia and 35% of late-life depression (LLD) are attributable to modifiable risk factors, with great overlap due to shared pathophysiology. This study aims to systematically identify overlapping risk factors for these diseases and calculate their relative impact on a composite outcome.

Methods A systematic literature review was performed in PubMed, Embase and PsycInfo, between January 2000 and September 2023. We included meta-analyses reporting effect sizes of modifiable risk factors on the incidence of stroke, dementia and/or LLD. The most relevant meta-analyses were selected, and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) weighted beta (β)-coefficients were calculated for a composite outcome. The β-coefficients were normalised to assess relative impact.

Results Our search yielded 182 meta-analyses meeting the inclusion criteria, of which 59 were selected to calculate DALY-weighted risk factors for a composite outcome. Identified risk factors included alcohol (normalised β-coefficient highest category: −34), blood pressure (130), body mass index (70), fasting plasma glucose (94), total cholesterol (22), leisure time cognitive activity (−91), depressive symptoms (57), diet (51), hearing loss (60), kidney function (101), pain (42), physical activity (−56), purpose in life (−50), sleep (76), smoking (91), social engagement (53) and stress (55).

Conclusions This study identified overlapping modifiable risk factors and calculated the relative impact of these factors on the risk of a composite outcome of stroke, dementia and LLD. These findings could guide preventative strategies and serve as an empirical foundation for future development of tools that can empower people to reduce their risk of these diseases.

Author(s): http://orcid.org/0009-0002-6540-480XJasper Senff1,2,3,4,5, http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3204-0309Reinier Willem Pieter Tack1,2,3,4,5, Akashleena Mallick1,2,3,4, Leidys Gutierrez-Martinez1,2,3,4, Jonathan Duskin1,2,3,4, Tamara N Kimball1,2,3,4,6, Benjamin Y Q Tan1,2,3,4,7, Zeina N Chemali1,2,8, Amy Newhouse1,9, Christina Kourkoulis1,2,3,4, Cyprien Rivier10,11, Guido J Falcone10,11, Kevin N Sheth10,11, Ronald M Lazar12, Sarah Ibrahim13,14,15,16,17, Aleksandra Pikula14,15,16,17, Rudolph E Tanzi1, Gregory L Fricchione8, Hens Bart Brouwers5, Gabriel J E Rinkel5, Nirupama Yechoor1,2,3,4, Jonathan Rosand1,2,3,4, Christopher D Anderson1,2,3,4,6, Sanjula D Singh1,2,3,4

https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2024-334925

Publication Date: April 2025

Publication Site: Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, & Psychiatry

17 Ways to Cut Your Risk of Stroke, Dementia and Depression All at Once

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/23/well/dementia-stroke-depression-prevention.html?smid=url-share

Graphic:

Excerpt:

New research has identified 17 overlapping factors that affect your risk of stroke, dementia and late-life depression, suggesting that a number of lifestyle changes could simultaneously lower the risk of all three.

Though they may appear unrelated, people who have dementia or depression or who experience a stroke also often end up having one or both of the other conditions, said Dr. Sanjula Singh, a principal investigator at the Brain Care Labs at Massachusetts General Hospital and the lead author of the study. That’s because they may share underlying damage to small blood vessels in the brain, experts said.

….

The study, which looked at data from 59 meta-analyses, identified six factors that lower your risk of brain diseases:

  • Low to moderate alcohol intake (Consuming one to three drinks a day had a smaller benefit than consuming less than one drink a day.)
  • Cognitive activity, meaning regular engagement in mentally stimulating tasks like reading or doing puzzles
  • A diet high in vegetables, fruit, dairy, fish and nuts
  • Moderate or high levels of physical activity
  • A sense of purpose in life
  • A large social network

The study also identified 13 health characteristics and habits that make you more likely to develop dementia, a stroke or late-life depression. (Altogether, the protective and harmful factors add up to 19 factors because two of them, diet and social connections, can increase or decrease risk, depending on their type and quality.)

  • High blood pressure
  • High body mass index
  • High blood sugar
  • High total cholesterol
  • Depressive symptoms
  • A diet high in red meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets and sodium
  • Hearing loss
  • Kidney disease
  • Pain, particularly forms that interfere with activity
  • Sleep disturbances (for example, insomnia or poor sleep quality) or sleep periods longer than eight hours
  • Smoking history
  • Loneliness or isolation
  • General stress or stressful life events (as reported by study subjects)

Author(s): Nina Agrawal

Publication Date: 23 Apr 2025

Publication Site: NYT

BRCA1, BRCA2, and Associated Cancer Risks and Management for Male Patients

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/article-abstract/2821594

Excerpt:

Importance  Half of all carriers of inherited cancer-predisposing variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2 are male, but the implications for their health are underrecognized compared to female individuals. Germline variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2 (also known as pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants, referred to here as BRCA1/2 PVs) are well known to significantly increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancers in female carriers, and knowledge of BRCA1/2 PVs informs established cancer screening and options for risk reduction. While risks to male carriers of BRCA1/2 PVs are less characterized, there is convincing evidence of increased risk for prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, and breast cancer in males. There has also been a rapid expansion of US Food and Drug Administration–approved targeted cancer therapies, including poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, for breast, pancreatic, and prostate cancers associated with BRCA1/2 PVs.

Observations  This narrative review summarized the data that inform cancer risks, targeted cancer therapy options, and guidelines for early cancer detection. It also highlighted areas of emerging research and clinical trial opportunities for male BRCA1/2 PV carriers. These developments, along with the continued relevance to family cancer risk and reproductive options, have informed changes to guideline recommendations for genetic testing and strengthened the case for increased genetic testing for males.

Conclusions and Relevance  Despite increasing clinical actionability for male carriers of BRCA1/2 PVs, far fewer males than female individuals undergo cancer genetic testing. Oncologists, internists, and primary care clinicians should be vigilant about offering appropriate genetic testing to males. Identifying more male carriers of BRCA1/2 PVs will maximize opportunities for cancer early detection, targeted risk management, and cancer treatment for males, along with facilitating opportunities for risk reduction and prevention in their family members, thereby decreasing the burden of hereditary cancer.

Author(s): Heather H. Cheng, MD, PhD1,2; Jeffrey W. Shevach, MD3; Elena Castro, MD, PhD4; et al

JAMA Oncol. 2024;10(9):1272-1281.

doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2024.2185

Publication Date: July 25, 2024

Publication Site: JAMA Oncology

Fecal Immunochemical Test Screening and Risk of Colorectal Cancer Death

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2821348

Graphic:

Excerpt:

Key Points

Question  What is the colorectal cancer mortality benefit of screening with fecal immunochemical tests (FITs)?

Findings  In this nested case control study of 10 711 individuals, completing a FIT to screen for colorectal cancer was associated with a reduction in risk of dying from colorectal cancer of approximately 33% overall, and there was a 42% lower risk for left colon and rectum cancers. FIT screening was also associated with lower risk of colorectal cancer death among non-Hispanic Asian, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White people.

Meaning  This study provides US community-based evidence that suggests FIT screening lowers the risk of dying from colorectal cancer and supports the strategy of population-based screening using FIT.

Author(s): Chyke A. Doubeni, MD, MPH1,2; Douglas A. Corley, MD, PhD3; Christopher D. Jensen, PhD3; et al

Publication Date: July 19, 2024

Publication Site: JAMA Netw Open. 

2024;7(7):e2423671.

doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.23671

From a Simple Test to Open Heart Surgery: How a Cardiac Screening Saved George’s Life

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.chestercountyhospital.org/news/health-eliving-blog/2020/february/how-cardiac-screening-saved-georges-life

Graphic:

Excerpt:

George, who is 51 years old, has been a police officer in Chester County for 31 years. He has lived a life of action — which comes with some feelings of invincibility. “As a police officer, there are times we think we are indestructible,” he explains.

Because of his active lifestyle — and no signs of heart problems whatsoever — heart disease was the furthest thing from George’s mind. “I walked anywhere from 6 to 8 hours a day. I was never winded, never tired, and I had no numbness. All of those telltale signs of heart disease — I never got any of them,” George explains.

Through a collaboration between Chester County Hospital and local police departments, George was offered a free cardiac risk screening for first responders. Despite zero signs of heart disease, he figured he might as well take advantage. Little did he know, he would end up having open-heart surgery just a few months later.

Publication Date: 10 Feb 2020

Publication Site: Chester County Hospital, Penn Medicine blog

The Latest Research on Why So Many Young Adults Are Getting Cancer

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.mskcc.org/news/why-is-cancer-rising-among-young-adults

Graphic:

MSK breast oncologist Dr. Shari Goldfarb

Excerpt:

Men and women in the prime of their lives are increasingly being diagnosed with serious cancers, including colorectal, breast, prostate, uterine, stomach (gastric), pancreatic, and more. One forecast predicts cancer for this age group will increase by 30% globally from 2019 to 2030.

“This is serious and worrisome,” says Shari Goldfarb, MD, breast oncologist and Director of MSK’s Young Women With Breast Cancer program.   

“This is not a blip,” explains Andrea Cercek, MD, gastrointestinal oncologist and Co-Director of The Center for Young Onset Colorectal and Gastrointestinal Cancer. “The more data we gather, the clearer this becomes.”

MSK is a pioneer in caring for the specific needs of people facing what are often called early-onset cancers, who confront very different challenges than older adults. The coming surge in cases is a key reason MSK is building a new state-of-the-art hospital, called the MSK Pavilion.

Just as importantly, MSK experts are leading the investigation into why this is happening.

Author(s): Bill Piersol

Publication Date: 3 Sept 2024

Publication Site: Memorial Sloan Kettering News