Life expectancy in the DR is fairly high.
I agree, and find it amazing due to the lack of good medical care once you're away from the big cities. And the mentality about health - most ignore doctor's advice. My father-in-law had diabetes - he went to the farmacia to check his sugar level every two weeks!!! We brought him a meter and test strips and he never used them. The sugar levels were unchecked, he took the same insulin regardless of need. Went just about blind. Heart attacks. He still lived to 92. Which actually was young, because his parents died at 100 & 105.
My mother-in-law is 90 and going strong, and looks great. Her sister is 98.
A lot of the older people in the campo near our house are in amazing shape for their ages, even if they LOOK old.
One guy we know is about 65, and still climbs coconut trees with a machete to get the coconuts. He looks about 95. His brother looks even older, but he rides his bike everywhere, big basket up front, selling whatever fruit he can pick or find to make a few pesos to feed his pigs.
Almost everyone out there is very thin, they eat frugally by necessity. Not much junk food available there. On the beach everything is fried and fattening, but the local residents don't buy that food, they can't afford it.
They all seem to know a lot about herbal alternatives. You have arthritis pain? They'll bring you a plant to make a tea. There's a plant for everything.
I suspect that the life expectancy in SD is lower than the campo. More junk/fatty foods there, less walking/exercise. The good life isn't so good sometimes, when it comes to health.
AE