Incorporating Life Expectancy Research Articles

Incorporating life expectancy in glaucoma care.

To calculate for which combinations of age and perimetric disease stage glaucoma patients are unlikely to become visually impaired during their lifetime. We used residual life expectancy data (life expectancy adjusted for the age already reached) as provided by Statistics Netherlands and rates of progression as derived from published studies. We calculated the baseline mean deviation (MD) for which an individual would reach a MD of -20 dB at the end of life as a function of age and rate of progression. For situations in which the individual rate of progression is unknown, we used the 90th percentiles of rate of progression and residual life expectancy. For situations in which the individual rate of progression is known, we used the 95th percentile of the residual life expectancy. An easily applicable graphical tool was developed that enables an accurate estimate of the probability of becoming visually impaired during lifetime, given age, current glaucomatous damage, and--if available--the individual rate of progression. This novel tool enables the clinician to incorporate life expectancy in glaucoma care in a well-founded manner and may serve as a starting point for personalized decision making.

Point: TheValue of Predicting Life Expectancy in Men with Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer

The prediction of life expectancy in prostate cancer screening and treatment is a controversial topic that evokes various opinions regarding its validity. The authors believe incorporating life expectancy prediction into the treatment algorithms for prostate cancer is important. Using a combination of clinical judgment and specific predictive tools, physicians can estimate the life expectancy of patients with prostate cancer. These estimates can then be used to help guide treatment discussion. Estimating life expectancy benefits older men in whom decisions regarding the best form of treatment may be difficult.

LIFE EXPECTANCY AND ECONOMIC WELFARE: THE EXAMPLE OF AFRICA IN THE 1990s

A formulation for incorporating Life expectancy information into empirical economic welfare calculations is presented. In an application analyzing the economic progress of the African continent during the 1990s due consideration of life expectancy factors substantially modifies the conclusions drawn from standard welfare calculations.