Fewer years of life lost thanks to better prevention – a success story for Switzerland

“If only I had known earlier!” We often hear this phrase when people are confronted with the consequences of a chronic illness. But there is also good news: the number of years of life lost due to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) has fallen dramatically in Switzerland over the past three decades.

What does “years of life lost” mean?

Potential years of life lost (PYLL) show how many additional years a person would have lived if they had not died from an illness before their 75th birthday. If someone dies at the age of 60, 15 years of life are included in the statistics.

This indicator shows how much certain diseases affect our life expectancy – and how effective prevention is.

The decline is impressive

In 1995, the burden of NCDs was still 3,944 years lost per 100,000 inhabitants. In 2023, it will be only 1,862 years. This means that years of life lost have been halved within a generation.

The progress made in cardiovascular disease is particularly striking: from 1,060 years (1995) to just 331 years (2023). There has also been a clear decline in cancer: from 1,698 years to 846 years.

Men are still more affected than women (2226 vs. 1502 years). But overall, the trend is clear: we are getting older, healthier, and living longer.

Why are we succeeding in this?

The reasons lie in a combination of better medicine and effective prevention:

• Heart attacks and strokes are being detected and treated more quickly.
• Cancer screening and modern therapies are prolonging life.
• Lifestyle changes such as smoking less and exercising more are having an effect.
• Early detection of diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol prevents serious complications.

What does this mean for all of us?

The figures prove that prevention pays off. Every check-up, every early consultation about blood pressure, blood sugar, or cholesterol can be crucial. The earlier risks are identified, the greater the gain in healthy years of life.

At the same time, statistics also show that there is still much to be done. Cancer and cardiovascular disease remain the greatest burdens. And men still lose significantly more years of life than women.

Our tip

Don't wait until symptoms appear. Have your most important health values checked regularly – simply at the pharmacy or by your family doctor. Even small adjustments in your daily routine can add years to your life: an extra walk, a glass of water instead of a soft drink, a PrevCheck instead of “eyes closed and push through.”

Further information, sources, and graphics can also be found on the MonAM page of the FOPH here.