Hawaiians are Most Likely to Have Long, Healthy Post-Retirement Life: CDC Report

Good news for people living in Hawaii. A government report revealed that people living in Hawaii have a long and healthy post-retirement life.

The report also shows that the lowest healthy life expectancy is for people living in the Southern states. Race wise, African Americans have a lower healthy mortality rate, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Researchers used data from 2007-2009 National Vital Statistics Systems, U.S. Census Bureau, and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for people over age 65 from 50 states and Washington, D.C.

HLE provides an estimate of healthy life of a person in a given age bracket.

Among the states, Hawaii had highest Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE) with 16 years compared with Mississippi that had HLE of 10 years. Apparently, a 65-year-old person living in Mississippi would become frail by age 75; while a person living in Hawaii has a good chance of remaining healthy until age 80.

The study also found that African-Americans had low HLE throughout the country, except Nevada and New Mexico. Women, in general, had a higher HLE than men.

Other states with higher HLE include Florida, Connecticut and Minnesota. However, Kentucky, West Virginia and Alabama had lower HLE.

"Where you live in the United States shouldn't determine how long and how healthy you live - but it does, far more than it should," said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., according to a press release. 

"Not only do people in certain states and African-Americans live shorter lives, they also live a greater proportion of their last years in poor health. It will be important moving forward to support prevention programs that make it easier for people to be healthy no matter where they live."

The study is published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Life expectancy in the U.S. has been increasing in the past two decades and currently stands at 79 years. Another recent study, published in JAMA, had found that among other developed countries, healthy life expectancy in the U.S. declined between 1990 and 2010 (the country went down from 14^th position to 26th in this index) even though the health care spending increased drastically.