U.S. suffers high rates of violent deaths

WASHINGTON -- The United States suffers far more violent deaths than any other wealthy nation, due in part to the widespread possession of firearms and the practice of storing them at home in a place that is often unlocked, according to a report released Wednesday by two of the nation's leading health research institutions.

Gun violence is just one of many factors contributing to lower U.S. life expectancy, but the finding took on urgency because the report comes less than a month after the shooting deaths of 26 people at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn.

The United States has about six violent deaths per 100,000 residents. None of the 16 other countries in the review came close to that ratio. Finland was closest to the U.S. ranking with slightly more than two violent deaths per 100,000 residents.

In addition to the impact of gun violence, Americans consume the most calories and get involved in more accidents that involve alcohol. The United States also suffers higher rates of drug-related deaths, infant mortality and AIDS.

The result is that the life expectancy for men in the United States ranked the lowest among the 17 countries reviewed, at 75.6 years, while U.S. women ranked second lowest at 80.7 years.

The countries reviewed include Canada, Japan, Australia and much of Western Europe.

The United States has long lagged in life expectancy compared with other economically developed nations.

The report found that U.S. health disadvantages aren't limited to the poor and uninsured. Even white, college-educated, and wealthier Americans tend to be in worse health than peers in other developed countries.

"With lives and dollars at stake, the United States cannot afford to ignore this problem," said the report from the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine.

Researchers said American culture probably plays an important role in lower life expectancy rates.

"We have a culture in our country that, among many Americans, cherishes personal autonomy and wants to limit intrusion of government and other entities on our personal lives . . . Some of those forces may act against the ability to achieve optimal health outcomes," said Dr. Steven H. Woolf of Virginia Commonwealth University, chairman of the study panel.