Death Rate in US Falls 60 Percent Since 1935
A new report recently published reveals that Americans are not only healthier than expected, but that there was a 60 percent decline in death rates among adults.
The rate of decline was attributed to several factors including lifestyle changes and medical advances, according to the report published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The report revealed that for every 100,000 U.S. children aged 1 to 4 years-old, the mortality rate has decreased an incredible 94 percent. It found that there were 441 deaths in 1935 compared to only 27 deaths in 2010, according to researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Overall, the death rate per 100,000 Americans fell from 1,860 to 746 during that period, a 60 percent change, the report said.
"Overall, the improvement in mortality has been significant over the last 75 years," said report author Donna Hoyert, researcher at Center for disease Control's National Center for Health Statistics.
There are several reasons for this significant decline, Hoyert said. "The way we live now is much different than in the 1930s. In the medical field, there have been advances and changes in behavior over time."
There is still major concern regarding certain diseases which are still the leading causes of death annually. Heart disease, cancer and stroke remained at the top for causes of death, according to the report.
The study also revealed that there was a relationship between the drop in the death rate and periods of changes in health.
Researchers explain that the 29 percent decline in mortality between 1935 and 1954 was due in large part to the production and availability of new drugs such as antibiotics.
The study also stated that diseases linked with tobacco use, such as cancer and respiratory diseases, more than likely prevented the death rate from dropping.
The mortality rate decreased more for females than males over the study period. Sixty-two percent for females compared with 56 percent for males, according to the report.
