One trend that has not changed, however, is the disparity among races. Life expectancy for whites in 2005 was at 78.3, while blacks only reached an average of 73.2.
Also, life expectancy for women remains five years longer than for men. The leading causes of death continue to be heart disease, cancer and stroke, although all three took a smaller toll in 2005 than in previous years. Hsiang-Ching Kung, a survey statistician with CDC and one of the report's authors attributed the decline to "better prevention efforts and medical advances in the treatments of these diseases."
That would mean there is room for improvement in treating Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Both diseases saw a 5 percent increase over 2004 figures. Accidents were the fifth leading cause of death. Suicide was the 1th and homicide ranked 15th.
The U.S. infant mortality rose slightly from 6.79 per 1,000 live births in 2004 to 6.89 in 2005, with birth defects, disorders related to preterm birth and sudden infant death syndrome being the leading causes of death among newborns.
The figures, which represent the latest trends in mortality in the United States, are based death records reported in all 50 states and the District of Columbia for 2005. The full report won't be available until next year.
Despite medical advancements and relative prosperity, the United States continues to lag behind at least 40 other nations. Andorra, a tiny country between France and Spain, has the longest life expectancy, at 83.5 years.
