Life Expectancy in the United States Increases to 77.5 Years in 2022
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), life expectancy in the United States has risen to 77.5 years old in 2022 after a two-year dip. This news comes as a welcome relief after the decline in life expectancy seen in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, despite the increase, the life expectancy is still lower than in 2019, indicating that Americans continue to die at higher rates than pre-pandemic levels. The record high life expectancy of 78.9 years was reached in 2014, highlighting the need for further improvement in healthcare and public health initiatives.
Experts warn that the US still has a long way to go in terms of life expectancy compared to other developed nations. There has been a worrying spike in child deaths, with the infant mortality rate and death rates among children ages 1 to 14 increasing.
Heart disease and cancer remain the top two killers in the United States, causing 2 out of every 5 deaths in the country. Fatal drug overdoses in 2022 reached record levels, contributing to the decline in overall life expectancy.
Despite these concerning trends, age-adjusted death rates from COVID-19 dropped by more than half between 2021 and 2022, playing a key role in the improved life expectancy numbers. This highlights the importance of vaccination and other public health measures in combating the pandemic and improving overall life expectancy in the United States.
As the country continues to grapple with various health challenges, it is clear that there is still much work to be done to ensure that Americans live longer, healthier lives.
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