Maggie's Farm: Life expectancy
- Peter Lorenzi
- Sep 14, 2023
- 1 min read
August 2023
I have posted about the confusion engendered about human life expectancy data. For one thing, the numbers mean nothing for us as individuals, because our life chances depend on weight, fitness (a tiny bit), genetics, luck, etc.
If you go back a few centuries, it is surprising to see that, at least in the Western world, life expectancy has not increased much if you discount infant and childhood mortality from infectious diseases. In 1700, if you made it to age 25, you had a good chance to make your 80s barring farm accidents. There is also the factor of maternal mortality from Puerperal Fever. Many women died from that.
My main point is that the bimodal death rates in the pre-antibiotic era skew the life expectancy data. Antibiotics have saved plenty of adults too, along with immunizations against infectious diseases. George Washington's life could have been saved with a shot of penicillin.
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