U.S. Life Expectancy Up, Heart Disease and Stroke Death Rates Down

The average U.S. life expectancy reached 78 years in 2006. In the same year, heart disease and stroke death rates declined by 5.5 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively. Death rates also declined for adult diabetes (by 5.3 percent) and high blood pressure (by 5.0 percent).

The data is based on a compilation of 95 percent of all U.S. death certificates, as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Vital Statistics System.