zero, nada, zilch

Posted by Nate Hagens:

No research is published about how much total medical care affects our lives. I estimate the effect is probably less than 2 months average.

If we had no advanced medical care we might live to an average of 78 years instead of 78.1.

I estimate 45% social factors (money, education, work and geography), 40% neighborhood shaped choices (exercise, diet and smoking), 12% ‘fixed’ biology (gender and genetics), and no more than 3% healthcare determine average health in rich countries. Society, not biology, underlies 85% of human health.

Healthcare may make a 2 month difference, while social factors make 5 year differences in lifespan.

Almost all other industrialized nations and some poor ones now outlive us.