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US Life Expectancy Rises to Record Level

Posted on: Tuesday, 1 March 2005, 09:00 CST

US life expectancy rises to record level

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- American life expectancy rises to a record 77.6 years, the National Center for Health Statistics said Monday in its annual mortality report.

Women, with a life expectancy of 80.1 years, live 5.3 more years than men, continuing to narrow down a gap based on gender. The difference was 5.4 years in 2002 and a record 7.8 years in 1979.

The report notices declines in death rates from America's major killers in 2003, including the two largest killers of heart disease and cancer.

The death rate from heart disease dropped from 240.8 per 100, 000 in 2002 to 232.1 in 2003. The cancer death rate fell from 193. 5 to 189.3 per 100,000.

Meanwhile, the death rate for stroke was down 4.6 percent, the death rate for chronic respiratory diseases 0.7 percent, flu and pneumonia 3.1 percent, accidents 2.2 percent and suicides 3.7 percent.

On the other hand, the death rate for Alzheimer's disease rose 5.9 percent, for hypertension 5.7 percent, Parkinson's 3.4 percent and kidney disease 2.1 percent.

The declines in death rates per 100,000 people among whites were 2.1 percent for men and 1.2 percent for women; among blacks were 2.5 percent for men and 2.4 percent for women; and among Hispanics were 4.2 percent for men and 1.8 percent for women.

The deaths in the United States in 2003 totaled 2,443,908, an increase of 521 reflecting a growing overall population.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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