Covid cut life expectancy by 1.6 years globally, but the leading causes of death haven’t changed since 1990
The leading causes of death haven’t changed since 1990 — with one glaring, pandemic-sized exception.
According to the latest analysis of the Global Burden of Disease study, which reviewed deaths from 288 causes in over 200 states and territories, Covid-19 was the only condition that broke into the ranks — if only for two years — of the global population’s traditional top five killers: ischemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2020 and 2021, Covid-19 was the second-leading cause, pushing stroke to third position.
