Potential years of life lost between ages 1 and 70: an indicator of premature mortality for health planning.

The indicator of Potential Years of Life Lost between ages 1 and 70 (PYLL) is proposed with the primary objective of ranking major causes of premature mortality. This proposal is based on a review of existing mortality indicators and indices and of the history of the concept of potential years of life lost. The method of calculation along with the corresponding rate and the age-adjusted rate are discussed and presented with applications to Canadian data and interpretation. Several methodological aspects are discussed, particularly the comparison with more sophisticated approaches based on life tables which do not appear to alter the ranking of major causes of premature death. This indicator fits well into the category of Social Indicators and can help health planners define priorities for the prevention of premature deaths. Epidemiological studies could also make use of this indicator of premature mortality. The simplicity of calculation and ease of comprehension should facilitate its use.