US Life Expectancy at a Turning Point for Gen X and Millennials

A global study analyzing four decades of US death data finds that those born around 1970–1985 (late Gen X and older millennials) now show higher mortality across major causes than earlier generations, with rising deaths from colon cancer, cardiovascular disease, and external causes like overdoses and suicides. The researchers link widening social and economic inequalities and stress to these trends, while noting that public health gains (e.g., tobacco control) show reversals are possible if obesity, diet, substance use, and inequality are addressed.