Overall Health Status of Medieval People

The overall health of people who lived in the Middle Ages was not
particularly good; people were expected to live about half as long
as they do today. Urban dwellers in Italy in 1480 had a life expectancy
of only about 30 years. People who lived in the countryside
might live a little longer, perhaps to the age of 40.

People did not die of degenerative illnesses such as cancer as
they do now; they died of illnesses like diarrhea, smallpox, tuberculosis,
and measles, or they died from accidents, drowning, or
being burned in a fire. Other illnesses that were common included
leprosy, plague, typhoid, problems with parasites, recurring fevers
of all types, “stone” (kidney stones), dysentery, and venereal
disease.
Women lived shorter lives than men. Childbirth was risky, and
women also suffered health problems from iron deficiency since
there was little animal protein in the diet and women lost a lot of
iron during menstruation. Not until late in the 15th century did
women begin to outnumber men.