Improving Health

Discoveries emerging from NIH-supported research have led to new ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat illness, ultimately improving the health of the nation and the world.

Improvements in health are reflected in U.S. trends over time for an increase in life expectancy and a decrease in death rate. For example, between 1970 and 2020, the life expectancy of the average American increased by 6 years, from 70.8 to 77.0. Between 1969 and 2020, the death rate in the U.S. for all causes has decreased by 35%, from 1279 per 100,000 people to 835.

Explore the sections below to discover more about how NIH improves health.

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Artistic rendering of deep brain stimulation (DBS), with an outline of brain and vertical lines that represent wire leads with a single electrode that has been inserted deep within the brain to reach a region involved in cognition, the central thalamus.

References

Mortality in the United States, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db427.pdf
Life expectancy at birth, at 65 years of age, and at 75 years of age, by race and sex: United States, selected years 1900-2007. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2010/022.pdf
Ma J, Ward EM, Siegel RL, Jemal A. Temporal Trends in Mortality in the United States, 1969-2013. JAMA. 2015;314(16):1731-9. PMID: 26505597

Improving Health

Brain and Mental Health

Substance Use

Eye and Ear Health

Cancer

Technology and Patient Care

Heart, Lung, and Kidney Health

Genetic Diseases

Immune System

Education and Prevention

Infant and Maternal Health