U.S. life expectancy declines by 0.1 year in 2016

U.S. life expectancy at birth fell for the second year in a row in 2016, to 78.6 years, largely due to increases in mortality from unintentional injuries, suicide and Alzheimer’s disease, according to a report released yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Unintentional injuries surpassed chronic lower respiratory diseases to become the third leading cause of death. According to the report, the nation’s overall death rate decreased by 0.6% in 2016, including decreases for flu and pneumonia, chronic lower respiratory diseases, kidney disease, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke. The report revises 2015 life expectancy to 78.7 from 78.8, based on updated Medicare data. According to another new report from CDC, the death rate from drug overdoses increased 21% in 2016 and doubled for synthetic opioids other than methadone.