People living ‘longer but sicker’

Worldwide, people are living longer but with higher levels of sickness, the BBC reported, citing results of a study of the global burden of disease. Malnourishment which was a top disease in 1990 was replaced by high blood pressure, smoking and drinking alcohol as among the leading causes of sickness. Heart disease, according to the 5-year project study, caused one in four deaths worldwide in 2010. Research leader Prof Christopher Murray from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington said, “There’s been a progressive shift from early death to chronic disability. What ails you isn’t necessarily what kills you.”

Read the full story on BBC News.