U.S. death rate down 16.6% since 2000; infant mortality at record low

U.S. mortality rates fell 2.3% for infants and 1% for the overall population in 2014, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The infant mortality rate, considered a good indicator of the overall health of a population, fell to a record low 582.1 deaths per 100,000 live births, led by a 13.5% decline in deaths from respiratory distress. The age-adjusted death rate for all U.S. residents fell to a record low 724.6 per 100,000, including declines for all major race and ethnicity groups. Among the 10 leading causes of death, mortality rates fell 5% for influenza and pneumonia, 3.8% for chronic lower respiratory diseases, 1.6% for heart disease, 1.4% for diabetes, and 1.2% for cancer; rates rose 8.1% for Alzheimer’s disease, 3.2% for suicide, 2.8% for unintentional injuries and 0.8% for stroke. Since 2000, the U.S. death rate has declined 16.6%, CDC said.