Diverging trends in life expectancy at age 50 : a look at causes of death / Dana A. Glei, France Mesle, and Jacques Vallin -- Are international differences in health similar to international differences in life-expectancy? / Eileen M. Crimmins, Krista Garcia, and Jung Ki Kim -- Contribution of...

Life expectancy in the United States fares poorly in international comparisons, primarily because of high mortality rates above age 50. Its low ranking is often blamed on a poor performance by the health care system rather than on behavioral or social factors. This paper presents evidence on the...

FrontMatter -- Acknowledgments -- Contents -- 1 Introduction and Overview--Eileen M. Crimmins, Samuel H. Preston, and Barney Cohen -- Part I: Levels and Trends -- 2 Diverging Trends in Life Expectancy at Age 50: A Look at Causes of Death--Dana A. Glei, France Meslé, and Jacques Vallin -- 3 Are...

Life expectancy in the United States fares poorly in international comparisons, primarily because of high mortality rates above age 50. Its low ranking is often blamed on a poor performance by the health care system rather than on behavioral or social factors. This paper presents evidence on the...