[WalterBright]

> Was life expectancy in eastern block states worse if you correct for wealth?

I don't know. But I do know that people were much worse off economically in the USSR than in the US. This impacts longevity.

> They had pretty good doctors as far as I know.

I recall reading in a thread on Chernobyl where people who lived there at the time of the disaster were commenting. One comment stood out - root canals were free, but there was no anesthetic available. Having had a root canal myself, I can't imagine sitting in that chair for several hours getting drilled without anesthetic.