With the advances made in modern medicine and technology, Americans have watched our life expectancy continue to grow for decades. Thankfully, Iowa as a whole has trended in the right direction with a majority of the country.

According to Medline Plus, "the duration of human life (longevity) is influenced by genetics, the environment, and lifestyle." Medline also added that scientist has studied centenarians (ages 100-104) and semi-supercentenarians (ages105-109) and it's been discovered that most people who live that long have very little in common when it comes to education, income, or profession.

What they do have in common is their lifestyles. Most people who reach this age are non-smokers, are not obese, and cope well with stress. The other thing most of them have in common is that...they are women.

What is the life expectancy in Iowa?

Unsplash - Christian Bowen
Unsplash - Christian Bowen
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How Long Can Iowans Expect to Live?

According to a 2020 study from the CDC, Iowan's average life expectancy at birth is a little over 77 years old. This is important to know because it shows the overall health of the state of Iowa. It should be noted that in 2019, the life expectancy in Iowa was about 79 years old. What did the entire planet experience from 2019 to 2020? Covid.

CDC
CDC
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Iowa women are more likely to outlive men by a decent amount. Iowa women's average life expectancy is 81.5 years old and men live to be about 76.5.

Leading Causes of Death in Iowa?

The leading causes of death in Iowa, according to the CDC are;

  • 10 - Hypertension
  • 9 - Suicide
  • 8 - Diabetes
  • 7 - Alzheimer's Disease
  • 6 - Stroke
  • 5 - Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases
  • 4 - Accidents
  • 3 - Covid-19
  • 2 - Cancer
  • 1 - Hearth Disease

It's never a fun thing to talk about. The mortality of life. One of the best quotes I've ever heard when it comes to this topic is from Keanu Reeves when he made an appearance on the Stephen Colbert Show.

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