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We might find other causes increase. For example, decreasing violent deaths increases mortality from heart disease. After some lag time, of course.


We surely would. But the gains may be more (or less) than you think.

I remember a gerontologist showing some math where if you prevented all heart disease you'd only gain about 4 years of human lifespan (since most of those people would soon get cancer); similarly if you prevented all cancer you'd only get about 4 years as well (since most of those people would get heart disease).

But if you prevented both, you'd get something north of 10 years of average lifespan.




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