(HealthDay) -- The life expectancy for the average Russian man is only 59, which is 17 years less than an American male and less than the average age of men in countries like Nicaragua and Vietnam, reports the Washington Post.
The major reasons for the short life expectancy are smoking and drinking: Almost two-thirds of Russian men smoke, compared to about one-quarter of American men. And Russian men drink on average a pint of alcohol every two days, compared with American men who drink about two pints in a month, says the report.
The World Health Organization reports that Japan leads the world in life expectancy for all its citizens. Interestingly, the United States ranks only 24th overall in that category. The American average is dragged down by a combination of factors, including violence, AIDS, smoking and the poor health of inner-city populations.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the average life span for Americans, while this World Policy Institute atlas shows average life expectancies for all countries.
