The US longevity gap is becoming a chasm. For decades, life expectancy in the States has lagged behind wealthy nations like Japan, Switzerland and Australia, with Americans consistently dying younger than their peers abroad. Now, a landmark “population autopsy” analyzing more than 63 million deaths has identified two key factors fueling shorter lifespans nationwide, as experts warn the trend is only getting worse. On average, Americans die younger than their peers in other wealthy nations. A new study uncovered the two major reasons why. Photographee.eu – stock.adobe.com In the study , researchers compared the US to 17 peer nations and found that between 1999 and 2022, nearly 12.7 million American deaths could have been avoided if death rates matched those countries. And the problem isn’t easing up. Annual “excess deaths” in the US more than tripled over the 23-year period, rising from about 346,000 in 1999 to 905,159 in 2022.…