Life expectancy

Life expectancy is an estimation of the number of years a person is expected to live based on the current trends in mortality data for that country or region. Life expectancy is the average number of years of life remaining for persons who have attained a given age. The life expectancy varies based on a persons age, gender and other health related factors and is compiled in actuarial tables used by life insurance companies among others. Also called period life table, actuarial table is based on the mortality experience of a population during a relatively short period of time.

In general, males generally have shorter life expectancies compared to females. Smokers have a shorter life expectancy than nonsmokers and being overweight or obese can reduce your life expectancy. Life style choices such as drinking alcohol can also reduce your life expectancy as does dangerous driving habits. Having a personal history of medical problems such as high blood pressure and history of cardiovascular problems, diabetes in you or your parents can indicate a shorter life expectancy. While it can be difficult to control your family history, it is a factor in determining your life expectancy.

It is important to note that life expectancy is just a mathematical value that represents a population mean and not a real predictor of duration of life a person is going to live on Earth. Life expectancy at birth is highly sensitive to the rate of death in the first few years of life as a result of which the simple life expectancy at age zero can be subjected to gross misinterpretation.

Economic circumstances and life expectancy
Economic circumstances may also affect life expectancy of a person. Life expectancy in the wealthiest areas is several years longer than in the poorest areas in many countries due to factors such as diet and lifestyle, as well as access to medical care. There are also gender differences.

The 2010 Actuarial Tables for the United States

See also

Increasing life expectancy

 * Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS)
 * John Sperling
 * Life extension
 * Longevity
 * Rejuvenation
 * Public health
 * Infant mortality