In terms of life expectancy, Germany tends to lag behind other Western European countries. In a ranking of 16 countries in Western Europe, the Federal Republic of Germany ranks 15th among men. The main reason for the lag is an increased number of deaths due to cardiovascular diseases.
The joint study by the BiB and the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock was published in the European Journal of Epidemiology.
BiB researcher Grigoriev, co-author of the study, said, “The fact that Germany lags significantly behind in cardiovascular disease is a cause for concern, as it is now considered largely preventable.” The researcher suspects that there are deficits in prevention. Too-late diagnoses also make successful treatment more difficult.
The contradiction between the high investment in health care and the results in life expectancy is a warning signal for the sustainability of the health care system, he said.