Americans die younger in states with more conservative policies, while mortality rates are lower in administrations with more progressive policies, according to a study in the scientific journal PLOS One.
After analyzing mortality rates for all causes of death in the 50 states of the North American country from 1999 to 2019 and in ages between 25 and 64 years, the study argues that more than 170,000 lives would have been saved if «totally liberal» policies had been carried out in all US administrations, according to ‘The Hill’.
More specifically, states with greater investment in education, greater access to health care and more comprehensive gun control have seen lower death rates.
According to the researchers who conducted the study, the data collected is «surprising» because it would imply that modern U.S. society is becoming «hyperpolarized,» which could lead to «increasing political divergence between states.»
«These tectonic political and regulatory shifts may have had a profound impact on health and well-being,» the authors told the newspaper.
However, the exception to the rule is found in marijuana control policies, as those states where more conservative measures on the drug have been found also record lower mortality.
Currently, the Republican Party controls 46 percent of U.S. states, while the Democrats control 29 percent, with 12 states divided between legislative and executive control, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).
With an average life expectancy of about 78 years, the United States has a higher mortality rate compared to other developed countries. Specifically, Americans die more than five years earlier than the Japanese and more than two years earlier than the British.
According to the newspaper ‘The Hill’, the researchers have endeavored to understand why the U.S. mortality rate is so high by analyzing the role of access to medicines, as well as the treatment of diseases and the consequences of climate change.
This new study expands the scope of the causes that would be behind excessive mortality in the policies that are promoted in each state of the country.
