Life Expectancy Increases, but Risk Remains

According to the latest report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average life expectancy for a child born in the US in 2005 is 77.9 years. This all time high life expectancy rate is 2 years longer than those born in 1995 that have a life expectancy of 75.8 years and 8.3 years longer than those born in 1955 who have a life expectancy of 69.6 years.

The report "Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2005" is published by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. While the report is based on about 99% of death records from 2005 nationwide, complete US mortality data will not be available until sometime in 2008, according to the CDC.

"This report highlights the continued reduction in deaths from the three leading killers in the United States - heart disease, cancer and stroke - which is most likely due to better prevention efforts and medical advances in the treatments of these diseases," said Hsiang-Ching Kung, a survey statistician with NCHS and one of the report's authors. "If death rates from certain leading causes of death continue to decline, we should continue to see improvements in life expectancy."

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), cardiovascular disease was the cause of death for 871,500 Americans in 2004, representing 36.3% of all deaths. The AHA also points out that deaths rates from cardiovascular disease declined 25% from 1994 to 2004.

The AHA advocates reducing the risk for heart disease by working with your healthcare provider to maintain blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight through an appropriate diet and exercise. Smoking is also a prominent risk factor. According to the AHA smokers' risk of heart attack is more than double that of non-smokers' and smokers who have a heart attack are more likely to die and die suddenly (within an hour) than nonsmokers.

The top 15 causes of death are the same as the previous year including Heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lower respiratory diseases, accidents, diabetes, Alzheimer's, influenza and Pneumonia, kidney Disease, septicemia, suicide, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, hypertension, Parkinson's, and homicide.

While the age-adjusted death rate for 4 of the 15 top causes declined, including heart disease, cancer, stroke, and suicide, 6 of the 15 saw an increase, including chronic lower respirator diseases, accidents, Alzheimer's disease, influenza and pneumonia, hypertension, and Parkinson's. The remaining causes showed no change from 2004 to 2005.

The report also includes infant mortality data from 2005, citing 6.89 infant deaths per 1,000 live births and no statistical change from 2004. The top ten causes of infant mortality in 2005 were congenital malformations, low birth weight, SIDS, maternal complications, cord and placental complications, accidents, respiratory distress, bacterial sepsis, neonatal hemorrhage, and Necrotizing enterocolitis.

Sources:

National Center for Health Statistics, "U.S. Life Expectancy Hits New High of Nearly 78 Years", Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Center for Health Statistics, "Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2005", Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

"Cardiovascular Disease Statistics", American Heart Association

"Heart and Stroke Facts", American Heart Association