Contrary to Bush Assertions: New Study says Blacks are living longer - Have Largest Jump in Life Expectancy

• Originally published in the Independent-Mail [more] and [more]
  

By Kelly Davis

February 28, 2005

Americans are living longer than ever, and men and minorities are closing the gap in life expectancy, according to a new preliminary report published Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta based on American death records.

 Statistically speaking, babies born in America today can expect to live to an average of 77.6 years, up from the 77.3 years calculated from 2002 data on American deaths.

 The report was based on data compiled from records of deaths in calendar year 2003 that were received by the CDC by July 15 of that year.

 Black men in America have a shorter life expectancy, but saw a larger jump between the two years than the overall male population, from 68.8 years to 69.2. Black men and women combined had the biggest improvement, from 72.3 years of expected life to 72.8 years. Baby girls born to a black parent today now can expect to live an average of 76.1 years.

 The report authors calculated that the death rate among all Americans fell about 1.7 percent between 2002 and 2003, to 831.2 deaths per 100,000 people. That figure is age adjusted, meaning it accounts for changes in the age distribution of the population. The downward trend has continued unbroken since 1900, except for spikes from disease outbreaks, the report said.

 The report noted that the death rate fell by 2.2 percent for males and 1.4 percent for females, a gender difference also reflected in the closing gap in life expectancy for males. Boy babies of all races born today can now expect to live an average of 74.8 years, up from 74.5 years in 2002.

 Among different race and ethnic groups, the largest decrease in death rate, 4.2 percent, was among Hispanic males, followed closely by Asian and Pacific Islander men.

 The age-adjusted rate of American deaths from eight of the 15 leading causes of death declined. Specifically, fewer Americans died of diseases of the heart, malignant cancers, stroke, unintentional injuries, pneumonia, suicide, liver disease and certain lung infections.

 While heart disease and cancer combined still accounted for 51 percent of all deaths in 2003, heart disease deaths have been declining since the 1950s, and cancer deaths have been declining since 1990. Pneumonia related to flu increased, but the declines in the larger pneumonia category outweighed that trend.

 Americans died at an increasing rate from Alzheimer’s disease, several kidney disorders and Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease now has entered the list of 15 leading causes of death, moving assault, which declined as a cause of death, off the list. The preliminary data showed a 13-percent drop in work-related deaths.

 The HIV death rate declined 4.1 percent from 2002 to 2003, according to the report. Since 1987, HIV death rates rose by an average 16 percent per year until 1994, after which it declined an average of 33 percent per year to 1998. Since then, it has declined in the 3- to 4-percent range each year. Among 15- to 24-year-olds, 25- to 44-year-olds and 45- to 64-year-olds, the virus is, respectively, the 10th, sixth and ninth leading cause of death.

 The national infant death rate of 6.9 percent overall at 14.1 percent for black infants was about the same between the two report years. The rate had decreased steadily between 1958 and 2001, then bottomed out and even climbed in some years since then because of a growing rate of premature and/or underweight babies.

 Kelly Davis can be reached
at (864) 260-1277 or by email at
davisk@IndependentMail.com .