Report finds that life expectancy has declined for certain groups and counties

While US life expetancy has increased from 67 to 74 years of age for men and 74 to 80 years of age for women between 1961 and 1999, a new study has found that life expectancy actually declined for men and women living in parts of the U.S. between 1983 and 1999 (Source: "The Reversal of Fortunes: Trends in County Mortality and Cross-County Mortality Disparities in the United States," PLOS Medicine).  According to the study, death rates fell for men and women in all counties of the U.S between 1961 and 1983.  However, between 1983 and 1999 the researchers found that life expectancy declined significantly in 11 counties for men and 180 counties for women.  During these years the life expectancy had either exhibited a statistically significant decline or stagnation for approximately 4% of the male population and 19% of the female population.   

This reversal in mortality rates has resulted in an increased inequality in mortality.  This increased inequality shows itself through the a widening difference between the best-off and worst-off counties and in the change in mortality rate within individual counties.  The majority of the counties experiencing this reversal in mortality rates are in the Deep South, along the Mississippi River, in Appalachia, in the southern part of the Midwest, and in Texas.

For both men and women, the reasons for this decline in life expectancy "was caused by increased mortality from lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, and a range of other noncommunicable diseases, which were no longer compensated for by the decline in cardiovascular mortality.'  For men, higher HIV/AIDS and homicide deaths also contributed substantially to life expectancy decline.  The mortality for women increased because of "chronic diseases related to smoking, overweight and obesity, and high blood pressure."