US Life Expectancy Declines For First Time Since 1993.

“For the first time in more than two decades, life expectancy for Americans declined last year.” According to a report released Thursday by the National Center for Health Statistics, “Rising fatalities from heart disease and stroke, diabetes, drug overdoses, accidents and other conditions caused the lower life expectancy.” In all, “death rates rose for eight of the top 10 leading causes of death.” The Post says that “overall, life expectancy fell by one-tenth of a year, from 78.9 in 2014 to 78.8 in 2015, according to the latest data.” The last time the US “life expectancy at birth declined was in 1993, when it dropped from 75.6 to “The United States ranks below dozens of other high-income countries in life expectancy, according to the World Bank.” The world leader is Japan, “at nearly 84 years.” The report is “based mainly on 2015 death certificates” and notes that “life expectancy is not declining for all Americans.” Unfortunately, the new CDC report “did not offer a geographic breakdown of 2015 deaths, or analysis of death based on education or income.” However, other research “has shown death rates are rising sharply for poorer people – particularly white people – in rural areas but not wealthier and more highly educated and people on the coasts.” http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MED_LIFE_EXPECTANCY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT