Commentary: The economic business cycle and mortality

liked to see in Tapia Granados a more detailed discussion of issues such as the way in which the percentage deviation from trend was computed, the potential use of different and more advanced time-series estimation techniques or of the problem of autocorrelation. Concerning the latter, the result from regression theory that in the presence of autocorrelation the estimated coefficients remain unbiased, invoked by the author, is only true as long as the variables are strictly exogenous. However, the assumption of strict exogeneity is problematic in the face of mounting evidence on the effect that health has on economic outcomes.9 In terms of future research, we need more efforts in two directions. First, we need more evidence from individual rather than aggregate data. Second, we need more research on the channels through which economic expansions negatively affec