Improved care of common diseases has led to middle-aged women looking forward to as much as three years more of life than just 30 years ago, according to a major study published today.
The World Health Organisation said women in the world’s wealthiest countries have gained most from improvements in care of disease such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes – together with improved diagnosis of breast cancer.
The study showed the biggest gains have been in Germany and Japan, where women of 50 have gained 3.5 years of life expectancy in the last three decades.
A Japanese woman of 50 can hope to live to 88.
In the UK women of 50 can now expect to live an average of 34 years, until the age of 84.
The study shows that in Russia women have gained less – an improvement of life expectancy of just 1.2 years from the age of 50.
Researchers forecast that the world population of women over the age of 50 will double by 2050 – with 1.5 billion living in countries currently regarded as "less developed", three times as many as at present. In developed countries there will be 379 million women over the age of 50, they forecast, an increase from 280 million.
Dr John Beard, of WHO, said: "Changing women’s exposures at earlier stages of their lives, particularly in relation to sexual health, tobacco and harmful use of alcohol, is essential to reversing the epidemic of chronic diseases."
Bulletin of the World Health Organization September 2013
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