Close X
Thursday, November 14, 2024
ADVT 
National

US Life Expectancy Is Flat For Third Straight Year; Last Similar Plateau Was In The 1980s

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 09 Dec, 2015 10:59 AM
    NEW YORK — Life expectancy in the United States has stalled for three straight years, the government announced Wednesday.
     
    A child born last year can expect to make it to 78 years and 9 1/2 months — the same prediction made for the previous two years.
     
    In most of the years since World War II, life expectancy in the U.S. has inched up — thanks largely to medical advances, public health campaigns and better nutrition and education. The last time it was stuck for three years was in the mid-1980s.
     
    It's not clear why life expectancy has been flat lately, but suicides and fatal drug overdoses probably are playing a role, experts believe.
     
    Some researchers have wondered if U.S. life expectancy will peak, due to the nation's obesity problem and other factors. But there no evidence that's happening now, said Robert Anderson of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
     
    S. Jay Olshansky, a public health professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago, agreed.
     
    "It's too early to tell. Three years does not a trend make," he said.
     
    The United States ranks below nearly 40 other countries in life expectancy, according to the World Bank. Japan and Iceland are at the top of that list, at more than 83 years.
     
    U.S. health officials come up with the life expectancy figure each year by looking at how old people were when they died and the cause of death. They use statistical modeling to predict how long people born today will live if current trends continue.
     
    The CDC report is based on all the 2014 death certificates. There were about 2.6 million deaths, or about 29,000 more than the previous year. The increase reflects the nation's growing and aging population.
     
    Other findings:
     
    — Infant mortality dropped again slightly, to a record low of 5.8 per 1,000 births.
     
    — The 10 top causes of death remained the same: heart disease, cancer, respiratory diseases like emphysema and bronchitis, accidents and unintentional injuries, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, flu and pneumonia, kidney disease and suicide.
     
    — Death rates fell significantly for five causes, including the top two — heart disease and cancer.
     
    — The largest increase was in Alzheimer's disease — 8 per cent.
     
    — Suicides and unintentional injuries — a category that includes falls, traffic accidents and drug overdoses — each went up by about 3 per cent.
     
    Overdoses are driving up those death rates, said Ian Rockett, a West Virginia University researcher who studies overdoses and suicides.
     
    Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. have been rising for more than 20 years — primarily from the abuse of powerful prescription painkillers like Vicodin and OxyContin. Heroin-related deaths — though far less common than painkiller deaths — have also recently spiked.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Charges Mount Against Suspect In Alleged Crimes In B.C. And Alberta

    Charges Mount Against Suspect In Alleged Crimes In B.C. And Alberta
    A 27-year-old man could face numerous charges in two provinces after a series of break-ins in northwestern Alberta and a dangerous attempt to escape from Mounties in northeastern B.C.

    Charges Mount Against Suspect In Alleged Crimes In B.C. And Alberta

    B.C. Town That Was To Lose Internet Service For Weeks Comes Back On Line

    B.C. Town That Was To Lose Internet Service For Weeks Comes Back On Line
    STEWART, B.C. — A speedy fix of Internet service has allowed a remote British Columbia town to go back to the future.

    B.C. Town That Was To Lose Internet Service For Weeks Comes Back On Line

    'Fix Or Fold' Senate Says B.C. Premier Christy Clark In Rejecting Proposed Revisions

    In a terse statement, Premier Christy Clark says B.C. will not participate in the newly announced process to appoint members to the upper chamber.

    'Fix Or Fold' Senate Says B.C. Premier Christy Clark In Rejecting Proposed Revisions

    Rate Of Foreign Ownership Of Toronto, Vancouver Condos Has Risen: CMHC

    Rate Of Foreign Ownership Of Toronto, Vancouver Condos Has Risen: CMHC
    CMHC released a survey Thursday that says foreign buyers owned 3.5 per cent of condos in Vancouver in 2015, up from 2.3 per cent last year.

    Rate Of Foreign Ownership Of Toronto, Vancouver Condos Has Risen: CMHC

    Boardroom Intrigue: Yahoo Directors Consider Potential Sale Of Company's Foundation

    Boardroom Intrigue: Yahoo Directors Consider Potential Sale Of Company's Foundation
    The boardroom intrigue revolves around a recent proposal from Starboard Value, a New York hedge fund that been pressuring Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer to take dramatic steps to boost the company's stock.

    Boardroom Intrigue: Yahoo Directors Consider Potential Sale Of Company's Foundation

    Fraser Institute Survey Says Investors Rank Saskatchewan Oil And Gas No. 1

    Fraser Institute Survey Says Investors Rank Saskatchewan Oil And Gas No. 1
    The survey by the public policy think-tank also puts Saskatchewan eighth of 126 worldwide jurisdictions.

    Fraser Institute Survey Says Investors Rank Saskatchewan Oil And Gas No. 1