Your Bank Account Could Determine How Long You Live, Study Says

Did you know that your lifespan is highly influenced by the wealth you own and your geographical location?

The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study, which stated that people with lower income die earlier than the ones that are earning a much higher amount of money. This research has been a result of the data collection and analysis of deaths and earnings over three long years. The study focused on understanding the income of people who are aged between 40 and 76 years old.

The ones who are quite poor in big cities like New York live as long as the people from the middle class in the same city. However, in other parts of the country, this is not the case. People with lower income die as young as people in poor countries of the world.

According to U.S. News, the study clearly indicates that geography plays an important role in a person's lifespan. It also shows that public health does matter to increase the lifespan of the people living there.

Raj Chetty, a Stanford economist and the study's lead author, told New York Times, "You don't want to just think about why things are going badly for the poor in America. You want to think specifically about why they're going poorly in Tulsa and Detroit."

Health care expenses were also taken into account to study the connection between a person's lifespan and his or her income. With the rise in health care costs, it is quite evident that people who are rich can always opt for better and more expensive treatment; thus, giving them a longer lifespan.

The study also shows that medical costs went up to 38 percent over the last few years. Hospital and medical care fees increased by 71 percent between the years 2006 and 2016.