The National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reports that life expectancy in the U.S. has risen to nearly 78 years. Now at an all-time-high, expected life span has grown nearly one and a half years in the past decade.
Decreases in heart disease, cancer, HIV-related deaths, and diabetes contributed to an overall drop in the death rate, which has been on the decline for eight straight years. The U.S. continues to lag behind some 30 other countries in life expectancy, including Japan which leads globally with a life expectancy of 83 years according to the World Health Organization.
The preliminary new data for the U.S. is based on approximately 90 percent of death certificates collected in 2007 and also reflects an increase of nearly three months longevity for babies born in 2007 compared to those born in 2006.
News source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/19/AR2009081902410.html
