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Andrew Stokes @astokespop.bsky.social · 16d

Preston’s death was first labeled an overdose. The autopsy found no drugs. Likely an asthma attack amid LA’s wildfires. Our recent analysis suggests 440 excess deaths—far beyond the official 31. We’re undercounting climate’s toll. @eugeniopaglino.bsky.social

jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

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Reposted by Andrew Stokes

Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 28d

I also recommend this great piece in the @us.theconversation.com by @wrigleyfield.bsky.social @astokespop.bsky.social & colleagues walking through some of their great work to counter this myth of "overcounting" coming out of previous news cycle.

theconversation.com/covid-19-dea...

COVID-19 deaths in the US continue to be undercounted, research shows, despite claims of ‘overcounts’

Taking into consideration the number of excess deaths caused by COVID-19 compared with pre-pandemic years is critical to getting an accurate accounting of the pandemic’s real toll.

theconversation.com

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Reposted by Andrew Stokes

Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 29d

Persistent minimizing of the COVID death toll hits me especially hard in the #demography feels. To be clear:

➡️ Over one million Americans died of COVID-19.

➡️ Official COVID deaths were likely undercounted, not overcounted.

jenndowd.substack.com/p/how-many-p...

How many people died of COVID?

We likely undercounted, not overcounted COVID deaths

jenndowd.substack.com

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Reposted by Andrew Stokes

Elizabeth Wrigley-Field @wrigleyfield.bsky.social · Aug 20

As a mortality researcher, I haven’t generally paid a lot of attention to people my own age (elder Millennial here). That’s, unfortunately, changing.

(With @astokespop.bsky.social and Jacob Bor)

Millennials Are Dying at an Alarming Rate. We Have a Few Ideas as to Why.

America is not a good place to be an early adult.

slate.com

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Reposted by Andrew Stokes

Eugenio Paglino @eugeniopaglino.bsky.social · Aug 11

New study 🚨 out in @jama.com! We find that California wildfires🔥in January may have contributed 440 excess deaths in Los Angeles County. This estimate significantly exceeds the 30 direct fatalities linked to these events jamanetwork.com/journals/jam... @pophel.bsky.social @helsinki.fi

Excess Deaths Attributable to the Los Angeles Wildfires From January 5 to February 1, 2025

This study aims to estimate the number of excess deaths attributable to the Los Angeles wildfires using an interrupted time series design.

jamanetwork.com

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Reposted by Andrew Stokes

Richard M. Carpiano, PhD, MPH @rmcarpiano.medsky.social · Aug 7

Study: 30 direct fatalities from the L.A. wildfires, but 440 deaths from January 5 to February 1, 2025 attributable to the wildfires--likely reflecting "a combination of factors, including increased exposure to poor air quality and health care delays and interruptions..." 🛟 😷 health policy

Excess Deaths Attributable to the Los Angeles Wildfires From January 5 to February 1, 2025

This study aims to estimate the number of excess deaths attributable to the Los Angeles wildfires using an interrupted time series design.

jamanetwork.com

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Reposted by Andrew Stokes

JAMA @jama.com · Aug 6

An estimated 440 excess deaths were attributed to the January 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles County, underscoring indirect health effects and the need for improved mortality tracking.

ja.ma/4oFM3af #MedSky

Excess Deaths Attributable to the Los Angeles
Wildfires From January 5 to February 1, 2025

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Population Aging Research Center @pennaging.bsky.social · Jun 23

NEW PAPER: "Evolution of the US nonmetropolitan mortality disadvantage by sex, state, and year, 1999‐2019" in @jruralhealth.bsky.social w/Associates Irma Elo & Samuel Preston @eugeniopaglino.bsky.social K Hempstead @astokespop.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1111/jrh....
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...

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Andrew Stokes @astokespop.bsky.social · Jun 17

This work was a team effort—grateful to lead author @eugeniopaglino.bsky.social and coauthor @wrigleyfield.bsky.social

Coverage via @busph.bsky.social

www.bu.edu/sph/news/art...

Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes Are Driving the Increase in US Excess Mortality—and Adults Without College Degrees Are Bearing Most of the Burden

About 525,000 more deaths occurred among US adults in 2023 than would be expected had pre-2010 mortality trends continued. More than 90 percent of these deaths occurred among individuals without a bac...

www.bu.edu

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Andrew Stokes @astokespop.bsky.social · Jun 17

Education structures exposure to risk.

Adults without a BA are more likely to work unstable jobs, live in areas without access to healthy food, and face financial and logistical barriers to medical care.

These conditions increase the risk of chronic disease and premature death.

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Andrew Stokes @astokespop.bsky.social · Jun 17

Adults without a BA accounted for over 260,000 excess deaths from circulatory diseases in 2023.

Diabetes was another key contributor.

Among men without a BA, nearly 1 in 3 excess deaths were from drug poisonings or other external causes.

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Andrew Stokes @astokespop.bsky.social · Jun 17

Among adults without a BA, mortality in 2023 was 26% higher than expected.

For college graduates, it was 8% higher.

This divergence began before the pandemic, widened sharply during it, and persisted even after COVID deaths declined

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Andrew Stokes @astokespop.bsky.social · Jun 17

The U.S. once saw steady declines in mortality—but progress stalled around 2010.

New research: In 2023 alone, there were 525,505 more deaths than expected had pre-2010 trends continued.

91% were among adults without a BA degree. Most were due to CVD and diabetes.

jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Diverging Mortality Trends by Educational Attainment in the US

This cross-sectional study examines trends in US mortality rates by sex and educational attainment before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

jamanetwork.com

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Reposted by Andrew Stokes

Maria Glymour @mariaglymour.bsky.social · Jun 13

Thanks to The Oklahoman (www.oklahoman.com) for running my opinions on the new budget and impacts on Alzheimer's research (bit.ly/4mZXrg7) and public health progress for all of us. #PublicHealth #EndAlzheimers #Epidemiology #ScienceHomecoming

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Elizabeth Wrigley-Field @wrigleyfield.bsky.social · May 29

For 40 years, Americans have lived shorter lives than people in other rich countries.

For 10 years, that's been rapidly getting worse.

New research: in 2022-2023, there were 1.5 million "missing Americans," who died--but wouldn't have, if America didn't have such uniquely high death rates.

Excess US Deaths Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

This cohort study examines trends in excess deaths in the US before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

jamanetwork.com

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Andrew Stokes @astokespop.bsky.social · May 27

Here we have calculated the number of excess deaths attributable to the US mortality disadvantage. This is based on estimates of the number of US deaths that would have been expected each year had the US population experienced the age-specific mortality rates of other wealthy nations.

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Andrew Stokes @astokespop.bsky.social · May 27

This work was a team effort—grateful to lead author Jacob Bor and coauthors Rafeya Raquib, Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, Steffie Woolhandler & David Himmelstein. (5/5)

Coverage via @busph.bsky.social

www.bu.edu/sph/news/art...

#MissingAmericans #ExcessDeaths #HealthPolicy @jama.com

US Excess Deaths Continued to Rise Even After the COVID-19 Pandemic

There were over 1.5 million “missing Americans” in 2022 and 2023—deaths that would have been averted if US mortality rates matched those of peer countries. Excess US deaths have been increasing for de...

www.bu.edu

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Andrew Stokes @astokespop.bsky.social · May 27

The US mortality crisis is decades in the making—shaped by policies that fostered car-centric cities, fragmented health care, weak safety nets, and poor nutrition. These systemic failures cost lives every day—and reversing course will require bold, structural change. (4/5)

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Andrew Stokes @astokespop.bsky.social · May 27

In 2023, 46% of all US deaths under age 65 were avoidable. That’s nearly 1 in 2 deaths in working-age adults—driven by overdoses, gun violence, car crashes, and chronic disease, rooted in policy failures and structural neglect. (3/5)

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Andrew Stokes @astokespop.bsky.social · May 27

Since 1980, the US has accumulated nearly 15 million “missing Americans”—lives lost because our death rates remain far higher than in other wealthy nations. This crisis began long before COVID and shows no sign of slowing. (2/5)

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Andrew Stokes @astokespop.bsky.social · May 27

New study with @jacob-bor.bsky.social @wrigleyfield.bsky.social & colleagues estimates that US saw 705,331 excess deaths in 2023—a number in line w/ rising pre-pandemic trend. Over 1.5 million deaths could’ve been averted in 2022–23 if US mortality matched peer nations. 🧵 (1/5)

tinyurl.com/569pr9ty

Excess US Deaths Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

This cohort study examines trends in excess deaths in the US before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

tinyurl.com

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Reposted by Andrew Stokes

Eric Topol @erictopol.bsky.social · May 23

Excess deaths in the US vs other high-income countries.
Coming down relative to prior US data but still the outlier
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Excess US Deaths Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

This cohort study examines trends in excess deaths in the US before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

jamanetwork.com

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Reposted by Andrew Stokes

Elizabeth Wrigley-Field @wrigleyfield.bsky.social · Apr 30

The biggest project I've worked on for the last chunk of years was just published. It asks, how big are US Black-white lifespan differences?

This might seem like a narrow question. I hope to convince you by the end that there are answers you didn't anticipate. And I hope some of them will move you.

Three Ways of Looking at Black–White Mortality Differences in the United States | Annual Reviews

Everyone agrees that US Black deaths happen earlier than white deaths on average, but it is surprisingly challenging to find the best ways to summarize, quantify, and compare this gap. This review arg...

www.annualreviews.org

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Benjy Renton @bhrenton.bsky.social · Apr 7

A blockbuster study from Irene Papanicolas and colleagues linking wealth to mortality.
- At every US wealth level., mortality rates were higher than Europe's
- The wealthiest Americans have a survival rate similar to the poorest northern/western Europeans
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10....

Association between Wealth and Mortality in the United States and Europe | NEJM

Amid growing wealth disparity, we have little information on how health among older Americans compares with that among older Europeans across the distribution of wealth. We performed a longitudinal...

www.nejm.org

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Reposted by Andrew Stokes

Atheendar Venkataramani @atheendar.bsky.social · Mar 5

A neat paper by @wrigleyfield.bsky.social @astokespop.bsky.social and team looks into this post 2010 period, showing that death rates from many different conditions increased relative to previous trends.

More evidence of generalized #populationhealth stressors.

jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Mortality Trends Among Early Adults in the United States, 1999-2023

This cross-sectional study examines trends in mortality rates among adults aged 25 to 44 years across the pre–COVID-19 pandemic, pandemic, and postpandemic periods.

jamanetwork.com

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