An integrated approach to cause-of-death analysis: cause-deleted life tables and decompositions of life expectancy

Abstract

This article integrates two methods that analyze the implications of various causes of death for life expectancy. One of the methods attributes changes in life expectancy to various causes of death; the other method examines the effect of removing deaths from a particular cause on life expectancy. This integration is accomplished by new formulas that make clearer the interactions among causes of death in determining life expectancy. We apply our approach to changes in life expectancy in the United States between 1970 and 2000. We demonstrate, and explain analytically, the paradox that cancer is responsible for more years of life lost in 2000 than in 1970 despite the fact that declines in cancer mortality contributed to advances in life expectancy between 1970 and 2000.

Figure 1. Change in life expectancy at birth attributable to various causes of death in the United States (in years): 1970 – 2000

Source: Table 3

Figure 2. Decomposition of the chaxnge in the gain of life expectancy at birth by eliminating a cause of death for the U.S. population by sex and race: 1970 – 2000

^* Effect of changes in other causes of death on years of life lost to the cause. ^**Effect of changes in the cause itself on years of life lost. Source: Table 4