The years of potential life lost could be attributed to,

Correct Answer: C. Years lost due to premature death

Years of Potential Life Lost (YPLL) is a quantitative measure of premature mortality that calculates the number of years a person would have lived had they not died prematurely. It is calculated as the difference between a standard life expectancy (usually 70 or 75 years in India) and the age at which death occurred. YPLL directly measures the impact of premature death on population health and is a key indicator in burden of disease calculations. For example, if a 30-year-old dies from tuberculosis in India, YPLL = 70 − 30 = 40 years. This metric is particularly important in Indian public health because it highlights deaths in younger, economically productive populations—a critical concern in developing nations. YPLL is used in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) calculations alongside years lived with disability (YLD), and is essential for priority-setting in health programs under RNTCP, NTEP, and other national health missions. The concept emphasizes that a death at age 20 has greater public health impact than a death at age 70, making it invaluable for resource allocation in India's healthcare system.

Why the other options are wrong

A. Years lost to disability — This describes Years Lived with Disability (YLD), not YPLL. YLD measures the burden of living with a health condition (e.g., blindness from diabetic retinopathy, paralysis from stroke), not premature death. While YLD is the other component of DALY alongside YPLL, they are distinct metrics. NBE traps students who confuse disability burden with mortality burden. B. Years lost to poor quality of life — Quality of life is a subjective measure of well-being and is not quantified in YPLL calculations. YPLL is an objective, standardized epidemiological metric based on age at death and life expectancy, not subjective health perceptions. This option conflates health-related quality of life (HRQoL) with the mathematical definition of YPLL. D. Years lost to morbidity — Morbidity refers to disease incidence and prevalence (people living with disease), not premature death. YPLL specifically quantifies mortality impact, not morbidity burden. Morbidity burden is captured in YLD (Years Lived with Disability), not YPLL. This is a common confusion in burden of disease terminology.

High-Yield Facts

Mnemonics

YPLL = Years of Potential Life Lost (Premature Death Only) YPLL measures Premature Death impact. Remember: YPLL ≠ disability, ≠ morbidity, ≠ quality of life. It is purely a mortality metric based on age at death vs. life expectancy. DALY Breakdown: YPLL (Death) + YLD (Disability) Years of Potential Life Lost = mortality. Years Lived with Disability = morbidity. DALY combines both. If a question asks about disability burden, it's YLD, not YPLL.

NBE Trap

NBE pairs "years lost" with disability and morbidity to trap students who conflate burden of disease components. YPLL is strictly a mortality metric; YLD captures disability and morbidity burden. The phrase "years lost to disability" is a classic distractor that sounds similar but measures a different concept entirely.

Clinical Pearl

In India, YPLL is critical for understanding disease burden: TB deaths in a 25-year-old contribute 45 YPLL, while a 70-year-old's death contributes 0 YPLL. This is why RNTCP and maternal mortality programs prioritize reducing premature deaths in younger populations—they have the highest YPLL impact on national health metrics and economic productivity.

_Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, Ch. 3 (Concept of Health and Disease); Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, Ch. 1 (Approach to the Patient)_