EL INCREMENTO DE LA ESPERANZA DE VIDA A LOS 60 AÑOS TRAS LA PANDEMIA DE COVID-19: EL CASO DE MÉXICO

• DOI: 10.37572/EdArt_2910242846

• Palavras-chave: Esperanza de vida. Años de Esperanza de Vida Perdidos. COVID-19. Adultos mayores. Mortalidad.

• Keywords: Life expectancy. Years of Life Expectancy Lost. COVID-19. Elderly people. Mortality.

• Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic substantially reduced life expectancy (LE) at birth in most countries. In the case of Mexico, both LE at birth and LE at age 60 decreased significantly. This study seeks to identify to what extent the levels of LE at age 60 existing in 2019 have recovered by 2023 and the effect that the changes observed in different causes of death have had in this regard. From official information, abbreviated life tables by sex were constructed for Mexico in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, which made it possible to estimate the temporary LE between 60 and 85 years for each year studied. Years of life expectancy lost (YLEL) between the ages of 60 and 85 due to selected causes were estimated for each year. Temporary YLEL between the ages of 60 and 85 in men increased by 3 years between 2020 and 2023 and in women by 1.9 years between 2021 and 2023, reaching levels slightly higher than the 2019 figures. The YLEL due to COVID-19 decreased from 2.49 in 2021 to 0.04 in 2023 in men and from 1.66 to 0.02 in women. The YLEL due to diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and acute lower respiratory infections also decreased in both sexes to levels similar to or lower than those observed in 2019. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic substantially reduced the life expectancy of women and men in Mexico between 2019 and 2021, the significant decrease in YLEL due to COVID-19 and other causes of death strongly related to the pandemic has allowed the recovery of LE in 2023 to levels that exceed those observed in 2019.