Life expectancy is an important demographic statistic that can be used to compare the health status of different population groups.
It takes into account gender and age as well as factors including diet, genetics and disease risk, and can be used to compare data from different countries, regions, and cultural and socio-economic groups. Life expectancy can also be expressed as mortality, or the risk of death8,9.
As well as considering all-cause mortality, data is also available that considers mortality from specific conditions such as CVD or cancer4-6. Researchers may consider the effect of one dietary or lifestyle component, such as coffee consumption, on mortality from cardiovascular disease, cancer, or all-cause mortality.
