Education may be more important for longevity than medical care

A new study from the University of Colorado at Denver is the first to estimate the importance of the economic value of education in terms of health and longevity. The study finds that the longer lives of more educated people are worth twice as much as lifetime earnings.

“We often think of access to health insurance or medical procedures, such as mammography or colonoscopy, as the most important health factors,” said study co-author Dr. Patrick Krueger, an associate professor in the Department of Health and Behavioral Sciences at the university.

“But education could contribute more to longevity than medical care. Political factors rarely act on this evidence, because researchers have not demonstrated the value of education for a longer and healthier life in terms of dollars and cents, ”he continues.

Compared to adults who have never finished high school, adults with high school education live longer and have a lower disability. These longer and healthier lives are worth an additional $ 693,000 for men and $ 757,000 for women. The incremental earnings associated with a high school diploma are much lower – an additional $ 213,000 for men and $ 194,000 for women.

To estimate the economic value of longevity education, the authors used data from two major American studies: NHIS (National Health Interview Survey), which monitors American health since its inception in 1957, and CPS (Current Population Survey), conducted monthly by to the U.S. Census Bureau. Thus, they came to interesting statistical estimates when it comes to the economic value of a life.

“We weren’t surprised that the economic value of living longer would reach lifetime gains, but we couldn’t have guessed the magnitude,” said Dr. Virginia Chang, MD, an associate professor of social and behavioral sciences at the New School. York. “An extra year of life is a significant change in life expectancy and has great economic value. As the cost of graduating from high school or college is significantly lower than we spend on health care, it is obvious that the price for education will be much higher. ”

In fact, researchers have found that education has a greater impact on health and longevity than behavioral or medical interventions aimed at adulthood. This is because the benefits of new drugs, medical treatments and behavioral interventions are largely directed at the most educated, who are already among the healthiest.

The Dahna project is developed by Cardioscience, a private company that aims to educate both physicians and medical staff and the general public. Do you want to know the principles of a healthy diet? Download now the free Dahna app from the AppStore or Google Play and let the cardiologists and nutritionists guide you correctly and efficiently for a longer life!

Source here.