A detailed collection of mortality estimates for diseases, disorders and external factors is publishing on June 16 in the open access journal PLOS Medicine. The study provides a resource to estimate reductions in life expectancy for a comprehensive range of disorders. The atlas will be a useful tool for clinicians, academics, and policymakers looking into links between disorders and mortality estimates, as well as for researchers studying specific diseases.
Mortality metrics can help with decision-making and prioritizing healthcare resources, but studies looking at mortality and various disorders have typically not been comprehensive. They often focus on either comparing relative as opposed to absolute measures of mortality of people with a disorder to the general population, or crude estimates of life expectancy, not considering variation in the age of onset.
