Average Age in Past Ages

We can all be thankful for medical advances, including new drugs. A hundred years ago, almost a third of children died before age 5. This alone accounts for the lower average age. If the surviving children lived to age 70, the average age for the population would be 49.

Consumed by TB and Flu

Before 1910, tuberculosis was a big killer. It was finally brought under control with isolation, to prevent spreading the infection, and with antibiotics that were introduced in the early 1950s. While TB is mostly eradicated in the western world, it is still the world’s leading cause of death from infectious disease, killing 1.5 million every year. From 1918 to 1920, the Spanish flu made pneumonia the leading cause of death.

Car Crashes and Other Calamities

In 1926, car accidents made their way into the top 10 killers list. Deaths from car crashes climbed from the 1920s to the early 1970s and then declined as cars became safer. In the last 20 years, while the population has gone up, deaths from car crashes is almost half. Per mile traveled, fatalities from car accidents were 5 times higher in 1955 than they are today. Deaths from other kinds of accidents have also dropped through the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.

Heart Disease Is #1

By 1930, heart disease was the leading killer and has been ever since. By 1938, cancer had moved into its spot as the second leading cause of death. Suicide cracked into the top 10 leading causes of death in 1971.

One Giant Leap for Mankind

In the 1950s and 60s, big advances were made in medicine in the form of vaccines for polio, measles, mumps, development of antihistamines, the introduction of open-heart surgery, hip replacements, organ transplants, ultrasounds, and mammograms.

Age of Fancy Machines

Since then, we have seen CAT scans and MRI machines, advances in cancer treatments, and some improvement in heart attack treatments.

Drugs Vacuum Up Money

Outside of a few special cases, there has been only a small improvement in drugs since the 1960s. In fact, you can make the case that many new drugs are worse. A new drug with a 1% reduction in risk is considered a big success. Many ‘new’ drugs are rejiggering a formula that already exists. Given that the annual spending on drug research is over $200 billion, with a ‘b,’ every year—over $500 million every single day—you would expect major breakthroughs.

Research for Sale

A lot of research money is spent selling drugs, not necessarily researching for better health. Doing the same study 20 times almost guarantees that at least one will show the results they need to sell it. That is the one that gets published.

Heal Thyself

A lot of factors play into a longer lifespan: antibiotics, vaccines, fewer accidents, and safer cars. There have been medical advances for sure, but we are not getting our money’s worth when it comes to drugs. It’s time to rethink medicine and move from relying on drug cures to living a whole, healthy life. Our bodies are complicated systems, but health is not only physical. We need to maintain our emotional and spiritual health. Our health is OUR job.