US life expectancy declining, driven by suicide, overdose deaths

US life expectancy at birth was 78.6 years in 2017, slipping over the past three years due to suicides and drug overdoses, according to a report from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. Age-adjusted all-cause mortality rates were both 6% lower for men and women in 2017 than in 2007, with heart disease, cancer and unintentional injuries as the leading causes of death, while infant mortality fell by 14% over the same period. Meanwhile, the overdose mortality rate rose 82%, and the overall US suicide rate increased by 24%.

HealthDay News (10/30),  Becker's Clinical Leadership & Infection Control (10/30)