The world’s largest study on LE in 187 countries – for each decade from 1970 to 2010 – published by the British medical journal Lancet – shows that globally – from 1970 to 2010 – male LE at birth increased by 11.1 years and that of female rose by 12.1 years

For the study, the authors searched academic research papers, verbal autopsy results, hospital records and censuses to identify as many published and unpublished data sources as possible which would be relevant to estimating causes of death in 187 countries in the last two decades. The data were then analysed to estimate the number of deaths attributable to 235 different causes across all the countries

Deaths due to HIV have made the largest jump – from 35th worst killer in 1970 to sixth in 2010. Mortality due to falls that was ranked 30th in 1970 jumped to 22nd in 2010, while liver cancer rose from the 24th slot to 16th worst killer. Chronic kidney disease was found to be the 18th deadliest killer as against 27th in 1970

Diarrhoea, road injury, diabetes, tuberculosis and malaria figured in the list of top 11 killers in 2010, followed by cirrhosis, self-harm, hypertensive heart disease and preterm birth complications

In absolute numbers, ischaemic heart disease and stroke collectively caused 12.9 million deaths in 2010 compared to one in five of all deaths in 1990 (9.9 million deaths)

Non–communicable diseases (such as cancer, diabetes, and heart diseases) accounted for nearly two out of every three deaths worldwide in 2010, compared to around one in two of all deaths in 1990

Deaths from HIV/ AIDS increased from 0.3 million in 1990 to 1.5 million in 2010, reaching a peak of 1.7 million in 2006. Malaria mortality also increased by an estimated 19.9% since 1990 to 1.17 million deaths in 2010