site.btaStudy Shows Circulatory Diseases Lower Life Expectancy in Bulgaria

Circulatory system diseases are a major factor contributing to the low average life expectancy in Bulgaria and are responsible for the significant disparity in life expectancy between men and women, National Statistical Institute (NSI) published on its website on Wednesday.

Life expectancy varies among different ethnic groups. Ethnic Bulgarians live nearly six years longer than the Roma population. Among the three largest ethnic groups, women have a higher life expectancy. Bulgarian women live an average of 78.6 years, women from the Turkish ethnic group live 76.9 years, and Roma women live 71 years.

An experimental statistical study titled "Circulatory diseases and the wide sex and ethnic life expectancy gaps in Bulgaria since 2010" yielded several key findings. The research, conducted for the first time with data from Bulgaria, involved a team of researchers including NSI chair Atanas Atanasov. The study outcomes have been published in a scientific article in issue 236 of the prestigious journal Public Health.

The analysis reveals the life expectancy gap between men and women across the three main ethnic groups in Bulgaria: Bulgarian, Turkish, and Roma. The male-female life expectancy gap is largest for the Bulgarian ethnic group (7.8 years), followed by the ethnic Turks (6.4 years), and finally the Roma has the lowest life expectancy gap (5.3 years).

The difference between male and female life expectancy has persisted for around seven years. Circulatory diseases contribute 3.66 years, or around 50% of the male-female gap. The second group comprises oncology diseases, leading to almost one year difference in life expectancy. Respiratory diseases are next, resulting in 0.4 years life expectancy male-female gap.

Researchers conclude that future public health policy initiatives should focus on circulatory diseases to narrow the life expectancy disparities in Bulgaria, NSI said.