This paper exploits the unexpected decline in the death rate from cardiovascular diseases since the 1970s as a large positive health shock that affected predominantly old-age mortality; i.e. the fourth stage of the epidemiological transition. Using a difference-in-differences estimation strategy, we find that US states with higher mortality rates from cardiovascular disease prior to the 1970s experienced greater increases in adult life expectancy and higher education enrollment. Our estimates suggest that a one-standard deviation higher treatment intensity is associated with an increase in adult life expectancy of 0.37 years and 0.07–0.15 more years of higher education.

中文翻译：

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预期寿命和教育：心血管革命的证据

本文利用自1970年代以来心血管疾病死亡率的意外下降作为一种积极的健康冲击，主要影响了老年人的死亡率。即流行病学转变的第四阶段。使用差异差异估计策略，我们发现在1970年代之前心血管疾病死亡率较高的美国各州，成年人的预期寿命和受教育程度较高。我们的估计表明，较高的治疗强度一个标准差会导致成人预期寿命增加0.37年，而高等教育年限增加0.07–0.15年。