Life expectancy in the United States declined in 2016 for the second year in a row and, conversely, mortality from drug overdoses increased 21%, according to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
In 2016, 2,744,248 people died in the United States, counting only residents in the country and the death of more than 63,600 of them was due to drug overdoses, according to data contained in two reports released today by the NHCS, a body dependent on the Centers. Control and Prevention of Diseases (CDC).
The report “Mortality in the United States: 2016” highlights that life expectancy at birth decreased from 78.7 years in 2015 to 78.6 in 2016, despite the fact that the general mortality rate adjusted to age decreased 0.6%, having gone from 733.1 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015 to 728.8 in 2016.
The decline is mainly due to American males, who went from 76.3 to 76.1 years of life expectancy at birth, because the expectation in the case of women remained at 81.1 years.
The NHCS reports are purely statistical, do not expose the reason for the data they contain.
By age groups the report indicates that the mortality rates of the youngest increased, especially in the group of 25 to 34 years old (+10.5%), and those of people aged 65 and over decreased, especially in the group of 75 to 84 years (-2.3%).
In 2016, a 65-year-old person could have the hope of still living 19.4 more years, which means 0.1 years more than in 2015. If it was a woman, the figure increased to 20.6 years and if It was a man diminished to 18 years.
There are also differences among ethnic groups.
There were no significant changes between 2015 and 2016 in the mortality rates of Hispanic men and women, which are lower than those of the other groups studied.
In the case of women in this group, the 2016 rate was 436.4 deaths per 100,000 people (438.3 in 2015) and in men it was 631.8 per 100,000, slightly higher than in 2015 ( 628.9 / 100,000 inhabitants).
The worst part was taken by non-Hispanic African-American men, with 1,081.2 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants (1,070.1 in 2015).
The ten leading causes of death in 2016 were the same as in 2015, but there were changes of position.
Heart disease remained at number one (165.5 deaths per 100,000 population), followed by cancer (155.8) and unintentional injuries (accidents) went from fourth to third (47.4).
They follow chronic respiratory diseases, cerebrovascular attacks, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia, kidney diseases and suicide (13.5).
In 2016, the infant mortality rate was 587 deaths per 100,000 live births, lower than the 589.5 / 100,000 in 2015.
Congenital malformations, low birth weight, sudden death syndrome, maternal complications and accidents are the leading causes of death in young children.
The second report published today, “Deaths from overdose of drugs in the United States, 1999-2016”, sheds light on one of the health problems that most concern Americans: the increase in opiate addictions and their consequences.
The report indicates that the rate adjusted for the age of overdose deaths in 2016 was more than three times higher than in 1999: of 6.1 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, 19.8 deaths were recorded.
The average increase in deaths from year to year in the period analyzed was 10%. From 2015 to 2016 they grew 21%.
Overdose deaths are an eminently male problem, according to the report.
The death rate per 100,000 inhabitants in men went from 8.2 in 1999 to 26.2 in 2016, while in women it went from 3.9 in the first year to 13.4 in the last period of the period.
Although the rates increased in all age groups from 1999 to 2016, it was in the 35 to 44 age group where a higher rate was reached: 35 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.
West Virginia (52 deaths per 100,0000 inhabitants) was the state with the highest rate, followed by Ohio (39.1), New Hampshire (39), District of Columbia (38.8) and Pennsylvania (37.9).
The study details the magnitude of the problem of the rise in the consumption of powerful synthetic opiates such as fentanyl and the like and tramadol.
The overdose death rate of these potent analgesics sold under prescription went from 0.3 per 100,000 inhabitants in 1999 to 6.2 in 2016 and the annual average growth rate for the years 2013 to 2016 was 88. %.
Rates of death from heroin overdoses increased by 19% from 2014 to 2016.
