Americans Living Longer
Americans are living longer than ever before, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
CDC researchers say life expectancy is up and death rates are down in the United States.
Life expectancy for a child born in 2012 is 78 years and nine and a half months—the highest ever.
A man aged 65 now should live another 18 years, and a woman should live another 20 and a half years.
“Much of the recent improvement in death rates and life expectancy for population groups examined can be attributed to reductions in death rates from major causes of death, such as heart disease, cancer, stroke and chronic lower respiratory diseases,” the CDC said.
However, the report contained one piece of bad news: the suicide rate rose to the highest level since 1987.