Non-communicable diseases now cause two thirds of deaths worldwide

Average life expectancy across the world has increased by more than 10 years since 1980, but non-communicable diseases now account for more than two thirds of all deaths, a new analysis of global health data has shown.1 The Global Burden of Disease Study 2015 analysed the latest available data for 249 causes of death, 315 diseases and injuries, and 79 risk factors in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2015. Researchers estimated all cause mortality by age, sex, geography, and year using what they said was a more accurate approach than previous methods, with better estimates …